It took a penalty shoot out to decide the Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique lyonnais (0-0, 6-5 t. a. b.), during the final of the League Cup. For this latest edition, it is PSG who wins the trophy, Friday, 31 July, at the Stade de France (Saint-Denis), depriving them OL a place for the next Europa League.
saying farewell with bated breath, the suspense and anguish until the end, in the absence of a show at the height. Despite scorching temperatures, the absence of Kylian Mbappé and injuries, PSG has been able to control their nerves in the penalty shootout to win his 9th title in the event. A record ! Less than fifteen days from the quarter-final of the champions League, on 12 August against Atalanta Bergamo, Paris ends its season home with a Grand Slam, after winning the champions Trophy, the Championship and the Cup of France.
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The minimum expected to complete the loop, 25 years after the gain of the first edition, and to forget a season 2018/19 disappointing, where he had had to give up the two domestic cups. Unable to win a title since 2012, Lyon did not take advantage of the last official match in the French strange season 2019/2020 truncated by the outbreak of coronavirus, to afford a ticket to Europe. Seventh at the time of the premature shutdown of the Ligue 1, OL had to win to avoid experiencing his first season without European cup since 1997. A cataclysm symbolic and financial that the chairman Jean-Michel Aulas will be able to avoid… if only his team win the C1 in August !
Mbappé in forums
Under the eyes of Mbappé, present in the stands during the meeting prior to the live session of penalties on the bench, the Parisians felt all the difficulties to pack the meeting. However, Neymar has made to open the score entry game. After having signed the first strike of the encounter (5th), N. 10 brazilian has been two fingers to stay the ball in the nets opponent with a striking curled unstoppable but out of the frame (8th). The biggest opportunity of the match. Without “KM”, at the origin of the winning goal in the Coupe de France last Friday to pre-injury, his coach Thomas Tuchel has chosen to learn to win in a new system-more careful: a 4-3-3, where Marquinhos found the role of sentinel in the middle, leaving Thiago Silva and Presnel Kimpembe form the hinge defensive.
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Despite the dribbling genius of Marco Verratti, this “plan B” has put in the time to take his bearings in the face of the Lyonnais eye-catching, with the image of their captain Memphis Depay. The Dutch, who would never have had to play the final, originally set on April 4, has been one of the most in the legs for 80 minutes for his return to official match since his serious injury in December. Not enough to make the difference, but bodes well for the successful achievement at the 8th finals of C1 against Juventus Turin on 7 August (victory 1-0 with the outward journey).
changes
in the Face of the neutralization of the two teams, not based on the hope of exploits individual, it is the rule of the “five changes” that has animated the end of the game. The entries in the game of Pablo Sarabia and Ander Herrera, in place of Mauro Icardi and Idrissa Gueye (58th), and then by Thilo Kehrer at the expense of Layvin Kurzawa (69th), were first fed with the spectrum of new injuries. While Karl Toko-Ekambi, Bertrand Traoré and Andersen (80th), and Rafael (86th), have provided hope for a hero off of the bench.
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Herrera was believed to be able to put on the costume for Paris when his centre found the head of Neymar… but Lopes has slammed the attempt at the last moment (87th) ! In part padlocked, where the organisms were close to the break, the goalkeeper from lyon was flawless, delaying maturity on a new judgment of high-class face-to-Di Maria (95th). The exclusion of Rafael and the blow of the last chance of Neymar (120th) did not avoid the unavoidable: the session of shots on goal. It is Navas, a little anxious during the party, which has taken over the Lopes in repulsing the attempt of Traoré. The art to shine at the best time.
