Paris Saint-Germain Secures Quarter-Final Spot In Coupe De France After Defeating Le Mans 2-0

Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the Coupe de France quarter-finals by defeating Le Mans 2-0 at Stade Marie-Marvingt. Goals from Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola secured their victory. Presnel Kimpembe also made his return from injury during this match. Initially, Le Mans showed promise with Theo Eyoum's attempt hitting the side-netting before PSG took control.

The breakthrough for PSG came in the 25th minute when Goncalo Ramos regained possession near the box, allowing Doue to score into the bottom left corner. Le Mans nearly equalised seven minutes before halftime, but Antoine Rabillard's header went over after Matvey Safonov struggled with a cross. PSG sealed their win in the 71st minute when substitute Barcola received Nuno Mendes' pass and chipped it over Ewan Hatfout.

Achraf Hakimi almost added a third goal for PSG, but his shot was saved. At the other end, Safonov remained vigilant, denying Dame Gueye's late acrobatic attempt. This victory keeps PSG's hopes alive for a 16th Coupe de France title, having faced early exits in the previous two seasons.

PSG relied heavily on their substitutes' impact in this match. Barcola, Hakimi, and Vitinha collectively achieved a higher expected goals (xG) total than any starting players. Their contributions were crucial in securing the win against Le Mans.

Beraldo stood out defensively for PSG, completing all 110 of his passes during the game. This achievement is notable as only Thiago Motta has surpassed this feat with 126 passes against Wasquehal in January 2016 while maintaining perfect accuracy.

Despite facing challenges in recent years at this stage of the competition, PSG demonstrated resilience and skill to progress further. Their performance against Le Mans showcased both offensive prowess and defensive solidity.