French Cup semifinal: PSG survives first-half scare to reach final with 4-2 win over Dunkerque

French Cup semifinal: PSG survives first-half scare to reach final with 4-2 win over Dunkerque

Paris St. Germain recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat second-tier Dunkerque 4-2 on Tuesday and secure its place in the French Cup final as it chases a record-extending 16th title.

Holder PSG will meet the winner of Wednesday’s clash between fellow Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims and fourth-tier Cannes in the final.

“It was a bit of a strange start to the game, they got into our box twice and scored two goals,” PSG manager Luis Enrique said. “We told ourselves at halftime not to lose our heads, to restructure everything and carry on.”

Dunkerque, making its first-ever French Cup semifinal appearance, took the lead seven minutes in as Vincent Sasso tapped home a flicked ball from Alec Georgen after a set piece.

Muhannad Yahya Al-Saad then fired home a low volley, catching the PSG backline off guard, to extend the hosts’ advantage in the 27th minute.

PSG’s top scorer Ousmane Dembele pulled one back just before halftime, with a powerful shot off Achraf Hakimi’s pass, while Marquinhos equalised three minutes after the restart heading home Dembele’s cross at the far post.

Desire Doue put the visitors ahead in the 62nd minute when his shot took a deflection off a Dunkerque defender before finding the net, before Dembele sealed PSG’s comeback win in stoppage time by scoring his 32nd goal across all competitions this season.

“I’m always in a good position to score goals, but it’s mainly a team effort. It’s just like the first half against St Etienne. We had to react very quickly,” Dembele said referring to Saturday’s Ligue 1 win.

“We’re going to take it one game at a time, it’s the final stretch of the season. We’re going to stay focused.”

PSG are on the verge of securing its fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title, needing a single point on Saturday when it hosts lowly Angers. After that, it faces Aston Villa at home in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Dunkerque, which is in fifth place in Ligue 2, saw its dream Cup run end after a campaign that featured stunning upset wins over top-flight sides Lille and Brest.

Published on Apr 02, 2025