Paris Saint-Germain had to dig deep to avoid an upset in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. Ligue 2 side Dunkirk struck first and took a two-goal lead, but the Parisians reacted in time to pull off a comeback that secured their place in the final. With a brace from Dembélé and goals from Marquinhos and Doué, Luis Enrique's side imposed their hierarchy in the second half and sealed their passage to the decisive match.
An Unexpected Start And A Surprised PSG
The match started at an intense pace, with PSG dominating possession and trying to impose conditions from the first minute. However, the surprise was not long in coming. After seven minutes, Dunkirk took advantage of a defensive lapse by the Parisian team and Vincent Sasso opened the scoring with an accurate finish.
The goal threw Luis Enrique's side off balance, and although they kept control of the ball, they were unable to find space against a well-organized home team. The situation was further complicated when, in the 27th minute, Muhannad Saeed extended the lead with a shot of great quality that left the PSG defense and goalkeeper without reaction.
At 2-0 down, PSG were forced to react. Although the chances came, they lacked precision in the final meters. Just before the break, Ousmane Dembélé popped up to reduce the deficit with a powerful shot that gave the visitors new life before going into the locker room.
A Hierarchy-Driven Comeback
PSG returned to the field with a different attitude, determined to impose their quality. Just three minutes after the restart, Marquinhos equalized with a header at the far post from a great cross by Dembélé. With the score at 2-2, the Parisians went all out in search of victory.
Dunkirk tried to resist PSG's siege, but gradually lost their solidity. In the 62nd minute, Desire Doué took advantage of a rebound inside the box and, with a shot deflected off a defender, made it 2-3 to put the visitors ahead for the first time in the match.
With the comeback accomplished, PSG managed the tempo of the match and avoided any surprises. Although Dunkerque tried to react in the last minutes, the difference in quality was evident and Luis Enrique's team controlled the situation until the end.
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Dembélé sentences PSG to the Final
When the game seemed to be over, Dembélé appeared again in stoppage time to score a brace and make it 2-4. With that goal, PSG secured their place in the final and made it clear that, although they suffered more than expected, they are still the favorites to win the title.
With this victory, the Parisian team will be looking for its sixteenth trophy in the Coupe de France. Their opponents will be drawn between Stade de Reims and Cannes, but PSG are already looking ahead to the decider.
With Ligue 1 practically assured and the Champions League on the horizon against Aston Villa, Luis Enrique's side is still in the fight for all the titles in a season that could be historic.
