Unsurprisingly but also without any particular emotion, PSG qualified as planned for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France this Saturday in Orléans (National). In history, US Revel (Regional 1), which fell in the previous round against Paris, will remember that it resisted as much as three floors higher, conceding a goal from Kylian Mbappé in the same minute (16th).
The captain of the Blues leaves Loiret with two more units (and two assists), bringing his total in the Coupe de France to 32 in the PSG jersey (34 adding Monaco), a new level of the record. He will be able to twist his own record in this area, with his partners and him still having four stages before the final, the location of which is still unknown in 2024, the Stade de France being under renovation.
Gonçalo Ramos scored… and that’s about it
And Senny Mayulu, scorer for the first time in his career with PSG, served by the King of Orléans himself, will remember all his life this beautiful story, very Coupe de France, the alliance of good spirit and the children’s party.
With its understudies and its ghosts, PSG often walked in the shadows in Orléans, refusing to illuminate the game, the evening and this round of 16 as if it wasn’t already cold enough as it was. Paris was at the source but he didn’t really cross-check his information.
Nothing to do with the team that had beaten Lens a few days earlier because it lacked talent at kickoff (Ousmane Dembélé, Warren Zaire-Emery, Bradley Barcola) and the toy soldiers compensated (Randal Kolo Muani , Gonçalo Ramos or even Lucas Beraldo). The Portuguese striker will still end up scoring and there are no small places to restart. Let’s hope for him because he only existed through his victorious header (72nd).
Luis Enrique’s men continue their flawless performance in 2024 even if after the aperitif come the main courses with Brest and Lille notably at the Parc des Princes before the reception of Real Sociedad in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The Spanish coach can continue to review his squad while waiting for these mini domestic summits and while he seems to have found his eleven, all the same.
Another chance to shine for the second knives
This victory in the Coupe de France will allow all those who failed to say that they will still have a chance to show themselves before the European shock, with an 8th of the Coupe de France scheduled for February 6 or 7 for the moment. He keeps egos under wraps, which was undoubtedly the main goal of the Parisian coach.
He leaves the Loiret with his troop by bus and on legs, with no one else in the infirmary, which again is one of the objectives before this kind of unbalanced balance of power. The new pitch stood up to the shock and the prohibitive price of tickets did not prevent the match from being sold out.
Luis Enrique can be satisfied with this victory, and even more so with the fact that none of his players were injured in the cold in Orleans. LP/Olivier Arandel
The spectators will have seen a double from Kylian Mbappé and their courageous team although a little too diligent, without madness, unfolding its game plan in counterattacks. She will be rightly rewarded at the end of the match with a goal from Nicolas Saint Ruf, following a corner, an area that Paris must continue to work on, too lax in this area.
