PSG complete domestic treble
Unai Emery and his team proved their superior class and easily beat Les Herbiers 2-0 in the French National Cup final.
| PSG 2-0 Les Herbiers 2018 French Cup final |
Goals: Lo Celso 26', Cavani 74'
The title won at Stade de France on the evening of May 8 is the third trophy PSG has won in the 2017-2018 season, after the Ligue 1 championship and the League Cup. This is the third time in the last four seasons that the Paris team has won the domestic treble.
The win over Les Herbiers was seen as a meaningful farewell gift for Unai Emery, who announced he would leave PSG at the end of the season. The former Sevilla coach followed in the footsteps of Carlo Ancelotti and Laurent Blanc, helping PSG dominate French football.
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PSG celebrates victory in the French Cup final. Photo: AFP |
Like many other matches in the domestic league, PSG had no difficulty in pressuring Les Herbiers. The reigning Ligue 1 champions controlled the ball up to 73% and launched 29 shots towards the third-tier team's goal. Les Herbiers almost only knew how to huddle together to defend against million-dollar players like Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria, or Kylian Mbappe.
Despite their efforts, the underdogs could only keep their net clean until midway through the first half. In the 26th minute, Giovani Lo Celso's beautiful long-range shot opened the scoring for Unai Emery's team.
With the lead, PSG played more leisurely, while Les Herbiers did not dare to push up their attack formation. In the 50th minute, Mbappe put the ball into the opponent's net but it was not recognized, because the referee determined that Marquinhos had let the ball touch his hand in the previous situation.
PSG's efforts were rewarded in the 74th minute. Cavani was illegally blocked by goalkeeper Les Herbiers in the penalty area. The Uruguayan striker himself stepped up to the spot and successfully converted the penalty, sealing a 2-0 victory for PSG.
