Paris Saint-Germain has qualified with great difficulty for the final of the Coupe de France on Wednesday evening. On a visit to Montpellier, the scoreboard showed a 2-2 score after ninety minutes, after which there was immediately, without first extending, the switch to the penalty shootout. The team of trainer Mauricio Pochettino took the penalties better: five to six penalties used. Kylian Mbappé was the big man on the side of the visitors with two hits. The French cup final will take place next Wednesday at the Stade de France, where PSG will compete against the strongest of the encounter between GFA Rumilly Vallières, which will play its league games at the fourth professional level, and AS Monaco.
Mitchell Bakker got a starting spot from Pochettino, who incidentally brought Xavi Simons into the match selection but did not give him any playing minutes. Mbappé made his comeback with the Parisians after a minor injury and a suspension in Ligue 1 and immediately showed himself. Even before the tenth minute of play, the club top scorer put his name on the scoreboard. After smooth combination play, Idrissa Gueye gave the decisive pass to Mbappé, who outwitted goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud in a cool-blooded way: 1-0. Halfway through the first half, Bertraud took the lead, when the closing post defused a right shot from Mauro Icardi.
Although PSG dominated the game in the first half and showed college football at times, Montpellier tied the score just before half time. Jordan Ferri reached Gaetan Laborde on the edge of the sixteen, who sent Alessandro Florenzi into the forest and scored beautifully diagonally: 1-1. Immediately after the break, Pablo Sarabia had the opportunity to regain the lead, but his shot went just wide of the left post. Moments later Mbappé was accurate.
The striker was played on the centerline from the back and rushed to the enemy sixteen. There he shook off two men and shot convincingly in the 1-2 in the short corner. With that, a final place seemed within reach, but nothing could be further from the truth. Seven minutes before the end of the official playing time, Montpellier surprisingly came alongside for the second time. This time, earlier goalscorer Laborde acted as the principal: Andy Delort was able to shoot the ball in without first having to accept it: 2-2.
After a short break, the semi-finalists immediately started the penalty series, which was settled in favor of PSG. Only after the twelfth penalty kick, which was used by Moise Kean, the decision was made. Junior Sambia missed the fifth penalty on behalf of the home team. Ángel di María, Julian Draxler, Leandro Paredes, Marquinhos and Neymar were accurate on behalf of the away team. The latter was given rest by his trainer and only came into the team after 86 minutes of play in favor of Florenzi.