PSG win the Coupe de France!
With just one week to go before the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Munich, PSG faced Reims in the Coupe de France final at the Stade de France. The Parisians, French champions and holders of the title, were inevitably the overwhelming favourites in this clash against Reims, who were involved in a play-off to save their Ligue 1 skins against Metz and may well have their minds elsewhere. For this match, Luis Enrique brought out almost his entire squad, with the exception of Safonov in goal. Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho and Nuno Mendes formed the defense with a classic midfield of Neves, Vitinha and Ruiz. Up front, Dembélé was in the firing line, supported by Doué and Barcola. At the other end, Samba Diawara had to cope with the absences of Fofana, Khadra and Daramy, while Teuma was sidelined. He opted for a 5-4-1 formation with Diouf in goal. Sekine and Akieme were the pistons while Okumu, Gbane and Kipré formed the hinge. In midfield, Atangana and Koné were in charge, with Ito and Nakamura on the flanks, while Siebatcheu tried to make his presence felt up front. Unsurprisingly, the first half was largely dominated by the Parisians.
From the outset, they set the pace. After a long sequence on the right flank, Hakimi was found in the box. The Moroccan feinted his shot, beating two Rémois players with a hook, before feeding Dembélé in behind. The PSG striker unleashed a heavy right-footed shot, but Okumu saved on the line (8th). Désiré Doué followed up with a classy individual move, controlling the ball in a roulette-like fashion on the left-hand side of the box before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot that flew just over Diouf’s goal (13th). Paris then struck on the counter-attack. Reims, who had moved up a notch, paid the price. Vitinha launched Doué from his half of the pitch, who carried the ball to the centre circle before slipping a through ball to Barcola. From the right wing, the striker crossed perfectly with his right foot to beat Diouf (17th, 1-0). The Parisians quickly doubled their lead. We found the same protagonists again: Marquinhos found Doué at Akieme’s back. The latter crossed hard in front of goal, and Barcola, at the far post, finished with an unstoppable flat-footed finish (19th, 2-0). Still very active, Barcola again combined with Doué, this time on the left. Entering the box, he came up against Diouf, who saved the Parisian striker from a hat-trick. The action was in any case halted for offside (28th).
The Barcola festival!
On the half-hour mark, Nakamura’s disastrous loss of possession in his own half benefited Hakimi. The Moroccan full-back immediately fed Dembélé in the box on the right-hand side. The striker tried his luck by crossing his shot, but Diouf saved again (32nd). Shortly after the restart, Nuno Mendes broke into the box from the left. His cross landed at the feet of Doué on the edge of the area. The latter curled a right-footed shot that was deflected by Gbané (57th). The Rémois, asphyxiated by the Parisian pressure, suffered. Koné, caught inside his 25-yard box by Hakimi and Neves, lost the ball. Dembélé took advantage of the situation to break into the box and hit a powerful right-foot shot just wide of the post (40th). PSG finally extended their lead with a clear-cut move. On the left-hand side of the box, Barcola was well placed by Ruiz and had plenty of time to adjust his cross to the far post. Dembélé drew the defence in, and Hakimi popped up at his back to finish with his right foot from close range (43rd, 3-0). In the second half, PSG kept up the momentum. Barcola again came close to a hat-trick. From a move initiated by Ruiz, the latter shifted the Parisian winger into the box on the left-hand side. Barcola stared down his defender before unleashing a powerful shot at the near post, but Diouf, alert, saved for a corner (59th).
A few minutes later, the Parisians put the pressure back on. Ruiz, still at the start of the move, set up Hakimi on the right. The Moroccan full-back then set up Dembélé in the box on the right. The striker struck a powerful shot at the near post, forcing Diouf into a difficult save as the ball deflected off the post. The danger was again extreme on the Reims goal (64th). Gonçalo Ramos made his mark with an attempt from the center of the goal, some twenty yards out. His shot was too soft to worry Diouf, who seized the ball with ease (74th). This clear-cut 3-0 victory crowned a successful domestic season for Paris Saint-Germain, who once again confirmed their supremacy on the French scene. Buoyed by an up-and-coming generation of talented players and a perfectly-oiled collective, the club from the capital has added a sixteenth French Cup to its trophy cabinet. With their defensive solidity, technical mastery and attacking efficiency, Luis Enrique’s men have been able to respond to all the major challenges. The trophy marks the end of a 2024-2025 national campaign in which PSG have managed to combine spectacle and rigour, further affirming their status as the benchmark of French soccer by winning Ligue 1 – Coupe de France – Trophée des Champions. But perhaps history has not yet been written: next Saturday, against Inter, a final page could be opened, that of a European dream that Paris has never ceased to pursue.