Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over third-tier Le Mans in the French Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola each scored a goal in either half to propel PSG into the next round. Le Mans, despite a valiant effort, were unable to overcome the Ligue 1 leaders.
The hosts nearly caused an early upset when Theo Eyoum found himself unmarked in the box, but his shot went wide. PSG struggled to break down Le Mans's resolute defense, with their first shot on target coming after 17 minutes.
A defensive error by Le Mans proved costly in the 25th minute. Alexandre Lauray's attempted pass was intercepted by Goncalo Ramos, who set up Doue for the opening goal.
Le Mans had a chance to equalize just before halftime, but Lauray's free-kick was deflected off the wall and went wide.
Barcola came on as a substitute in the 68th minute and made an immediate impact. He received a lofted pass from Nuno Mendes, sprinted into the box, and finished coolly at the near post.
PSG nearly added a third goal a minute later, but Le Mans goalkeeper Ewan Hatfout denied Achraf Hakimi. Le Mans continued to fight until the end, but Dame Gueye's acrobatic attempt was saved by Matvey Safonov.
6 Comments
Donatello
Proud of PSG! They are showing that they can handle pressure situations effectively.
Michelangelo
Just what we needed—a clean victory without injuries. Great job, PSG!
Raphael
Can we stop pretending this is a great achievement? Dominating lower-tier teams isn’t anything to brag about.
Leonardo
The team may have struggled, but they found a way to win. That’s what champions do!
Donatello
I don’t know why people are excited. A win here is expected—let’s see how they perform in tougher matches.
Raphael
Another predictable win for PSG, but they still can't shake off the impression that they struggle against stronger teams.