PSG vs. Lille: Score, Reaction from 2016 Coupe de la Ligue Final
Paris Saint-Germain claimed the Coupe de la Ligue trophy for a third consecutive year with a 2-1 win over Lille on Saturday, following an absolute thriller at the Stade de France in Paris.
Javier Pastore opened the score in controversial fashion, but Djibril Sidibe pulled Lille level with a free-kick shortly after half-time. Both teams had their chances to take the lead, and all momentum appeared to shift to Lille after Adrien Rabiot was sent off for a second bookable offence after 70 minutes.
Instead, it was Angel Di Maria who handed Les Parisiens the lead back, and the Ligue 1 champions would hold on to it this time.
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As shared by PSG’s official Twitter account, manager Laurent Blanc gave Serge Aurier the start at the right-back position and decided to leave Edinson Cavani on the bench:
OptaJean noted it had been a while since Les Parisiens were last defeated in a national cup final:
Di Maria had a great chance to open the scoring early, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic unselfishly laid the ball back from a great position. The Argentinian fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, however.
PSG took control of the ball early, while Lille were happy to sit back and aim for the counter-attack. Sidibe and Sofiane Boufal looked lively early, putting plenty of pressure on the PSG wings with their pace.
Aurier nearly picked out Ibrahimovic after making the byline, but his delivery sailed over the head of the Swede. Neither team managed to put together any great chances early, apart from Di Maria’s look, and Robin Bairner of Goal focused his attention on other things:
Sebastien Corchia made a key interception, just as Lucas Moura appeared to be through on goal, before Aurier ran into the first booking for the night for a rash challenge on Sidibe.
Boufal fired the free-kick into the box and had Salvatore Sirigu beat with his delivery, but Ibrahimovic was there to deflect the ball out for a corner kick. Minutes later, Morgan Amalfitano nearly took advantage of a poor block from Sirigu, firing his shot into the side netting.
Lille improved as the half wore on, but PSG still looked dangerous, and Corchia only narrowly headed a ball out of the path of Lucas and Blaise Matuidi, both of whom were ready to pounce.
Ibrahimovic came eye-to-eye with Enyeama after a deep ball, but his finish cleared both the goalkeeper and the cross bar. Di Maria then nearly picked out Lucas, but Marko Basa got his body in the way at just the right time. Per Bairner, Lille’s last-second defending looked solid:
Les Parisiens increased the pressure on the Lille goal toward the end of the first half, but Eder had a great chance to give his team the lead on the other side of the pitch, losing control of the ball just as he was getting ready to shoot.
Minutes later, Enyeama could only clear a corner as far as Pastore, who tried his luck with a volley and watched as the ball found its way through a pack of players and into the net.
There was clear controversy surrounding the goal, however. Layvin Kurzawa was caught in a clear offside position, and the ball flew through his legs and into the net. While at first he didn’t appear to impede on anyone, replays showed Eyeama was unable to dive for the ball due to the full-back.
Per Bleacher Report’s Adam Digby, the fact the ball went through his legs, which he had to open, also played a factor:
Lille were furious with the official, but the goal stood, and in the aftermath, the pace of the match dropped. PSG would muster one more chance before half-time, with Corchia ensuring Ibrahimovic didn’t get the chance to shoot.
The second half started with a flurry, as Lille pushed forward, determined to find a fast equaliser and were properly rewarded. Rabiot brought down Boufal on the edge of the box, and Sidibe lifted the ball over the wall and into the bottom corner, leaving Sirigu stranded.
Per OptaJean, things were looking good for Lille following that goal:
PSG tried to hit back almost immediately, and Ibrahimovic went close twice, first pulling a headed chance just wide before a deflected shot flew over the bar. Corchia also couldn't keep his shot down, failing to trouble Sirigu, while Lucas saw a shot blocked on the other side of the pitch.
Di Maria nearly surprised Enyeama with a poor cross that almost ended up in the net, as the two teams went back and forth.
Boufal hit the side netting again before Sidibe poked a cross a few yards wide of Sirigu's post, as Lille kept pushing pressure on their opponents. It paid off after 70 minutes, as Rabiot was sent off or a second bookable offence on Boufal, handing the visitors all momentum.
Per Bleacher Report's Johnson, the youngster hates playing Lille:
Lille were now in the driver's seat, but out of nowhere, Di Maria, who had arguably been the worst player on the pitch until that point, took advantage of a defensive miscue to slot the ball past Enyeama. Basa came agonisingly close to clearing the ball off the line, but to no avail.
Adama Soumaoro should have equalised just minutes later, scuffing a wide-open header past the upright. Aurier tried to put Lille away for good with a stinging drive that needed a good stop from Enyeama, and the Nigerian also dealt with the corner that followed.
The stopper again was called into action to deny Ibrahimovic, and David Luiz fired a shot over the bar, as PSG coped well with Rabiot's dismissal and did a great job keeping Lille out of their half.
The Stade de France thought Boufal had pulled his side level with a fantastic strike from 25 yards out, but the ball ended up on the wrong side of the post, as time started to run out. Lille threw all of their men forward, but luck wasn't on their side, as Sirigu just managed to push a deflected shot out for a corner.
Lille's late push came to nothing, as 10-men PSG held on to win their third straight Coupe de la Ligue. Les Parisiens will have the chance to add the Coupe de France to their resume next month, when they take on hated rivals Marseille.
Post-Match Reaction
As reported by Goal's Dom Farrell, manager Blanc praised the resilience of his PSG squad in an interview with France 2:
"Even with 10 men my players wanted to win. Maybe the best the team has withstood pressure to win.
Many have trouble thinking that a season is a championship, cups and the Champions League. But when we do not reach a goal, the season is not over. We can still make a good season.
I hope the players will still be focused and motivated for the coming weeks.
"
If PSG manage to beat Marseille on May 21, they'll sweep France's domestic competitions for the second straight year.
