Stats & Facts: A memorable qualification against Lens
Check out the key stats and main events from Les Rouge et Bleu’s Coupe de France win over Lens after a penalty shootout (1-1 , 3-4 on penalties) on Sunday 22 December.
Les Parisiens - nerves of steel
On the occasion of this final match of 2024, Paris traveled to northern France to face Lens. It is always a hostile trip against a passionate crowd, no matter the conditions. However, Luis Enrique’s men remained solid and could rely on a standout performance from Matvey Safonov to emerge victorious in the penalty shootout. A challenge often feared, but one the club from the capital is mastering more and more. As proof, Paris has now won three of its last four penalty shootouts.
By defeating the Sang et Or, Paris Saint-Germain secured their qualification for the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France for the 35th consecutive season, a historic achievement. The Parisians thus set a new record in the competition’s history and avoided an unfortunate fate. The last time the Rouge et Bleus were eliminated at this stage of the competition was, in fact, in Lens. It was in 1990, during a match against Valenciennes, held for the occasion at the Stade Bollaert in Lens.
It has to be said that Paris likes to head into the winter break with a sense of mission accomplished. Since 2011, the club from the capital has never lost its final match of the calendar year, regardless of the competition. An impressive and long-standing streak of 14 years. On Sunday, Luis Enrique’s men dug deep to extend this run and secure their qualification for the next round, despite the frustration of hitting the woodwork so many times. Hitting the crossbar in the first half, Marquinhos brought the total number of posts hit by Paris to 17 since the start of the season across all competitions. A record in France.
An impressive Gonçalo Ramos
Scoring just minutes after Lens opened the scoring, Gonçalo Ramos allowed the Rouge et Bleu to get back into the game immediately and prevent the Artésiens from maintaining control of the match. Our Portuguese international ended the year in sparkling form, with four goals in his last four games. With 15 goals scored throughout the year, Ramos concludes 2024 as Paris Saint-Germain’s top scorer for the calendar year, ahead of French internationals Bradley Barcola (14 goals) and Ousmane Dembélé (13 goals).
Beyond his offensive output, Gonçalo Ramos can also be considered a key asset for his side, as Paris Saint-Germain have never lost a match in which the Portuguese striker has scored in official competitions (11 wins, 5 draws).
On Sunday, our number 9 netted the 161st goal in the club’s history against Lens. This tally places Paris fourth among the most prolific teams against the Sang et Or.