Paris put on a show in Brittany to qualify for the semi-finals!

Three days after their impressive win at the Groupama Stadium (2-3), Paris Saint-Germain were on the road again, this time heading to Brittany for the Coupe de France quarter-finals against Stade Briochin. Facing the National 2 side, Luis Enrique opted for a central defensive duo of Willian Pacho and Lucas Beraldo, with Matvey Safonov in goal for the evening. Captain Achraf Hakimi started at right-back, with Lucas Hernandez on the opposite flank. In midfield, Fabian Ruiz took up a supporting role behind João Neves and Senny Mayulu, while Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia occupied the wings, and Gonçalo Ramos led the line.

Right from kick-off, Paris logically set the pace of the encounter against a very compact Griffons side. Nevertheless, the club from the capital managed to find spaces between the Breton lines, with Gonçalo Ramos making the first statement of intent with a powerful header, deflected by Franck L'Hostis’s leg (9'). Looking sharper, the Parisians thought they had opened the scoring with a well-placed shot from Désiré Doué, only for Christophe Kerbrat to tip it onto the crossbar. However, João Neves was the quickest to react, showing great composure as he finished with his left foot to break the deadlock (0-1, 16').

Disciplined and focused, the Rouge et Bleu gave the Bretons no chance to respond. On the contrary, the Parisian squad intensified the pressure in the hosts' half, with Fabian Ruiz rattling the crossbar for the second time in the match with a floating shot from 20 metres out (23'). Dominant in all their duels, Paris forced Saint-Brieuc to endure their control despite the vocal support of the Breton crowd. The club from the capital's efforts were rewarded with a second goal, as Gonçalo Ramos took full advantage of a perfectly delivered cross from Senny Mayulu (0-2, 36'). Helpless, the home side struggled to trouble a serious and well-organised Paris side, who headed into the break with a two-goal lead.

There was no question of easing off for Luis Enrique’s men, who started the second half with the same intensity. They quickly earned a penalty following a smart combination between Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Gonçalo Ramos made no mistake from the spot, putting his team firmly out of reach (0-3, 49'). However, the show was far from over in Brittany’s capital, as the crowd witnessed a dazzling performance from their former prodigy, Désiré Doué, who was developed at SRFC. Well set up by Gonçalo Ramos, the Parisian number 14 controlled the ball brilliantly before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike to beat the goalkeeper (0-4, 55'). The connection between the two players was on full display at Roazhon Park, as it was then the French U21 international's turn to set up the Portuguese forward, allowing Ramos to complete his hat-trick (0-5, 58')!

All of the Rouge et Bleu joined the celebration, including substitutes like Bradley Barcola, who made an impact on the left wing before setting up Désiré Doué, who then played the ball back to Senny Mayulu for the sixth goal of the match (0-6, 66'). Was that enough to satisfy Paris? Not quite! Gonçalo Ramos, who was relentless throughout, soared above everyone to head Bradley Barcola’s cross, smashing against Franck L'Hostis’s crossbar for the third time of the evening (76'). However, Paris's discipline and perseverance eventually paid off a few minutes before the end, when Bradley Barcola perfectly set up Ousmane Dembélé in the box. Dembélé sealed his team's perfect performance with a powerful right-footed strike (0-7, 85').

Without a hitch, Paris Saint-Germain secured a dominant win over the Briochins, booking their spot in the Coupe de France semi-finals after a one-sided encounter, despite a Breton side buoyed by their historic run. Next up, our Parisians shift their focus to Ligue 1, hosting Lille on Saturday 1 March, at the Parc des Princes. This top-of-the-table clash promises to be a hard-fought battle for our Rouge et Bleu, with kick-off set for 21:05 at the stadium at the Porte d’Auteuil!