France: Paris St. Germain recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat second-tier Dunkerque 4-2 on Tuesday and secure their place in the French Cup final as they chase a record-extending 16th title.
Holders 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 their 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 equalized three minutes after the restart heading home Dembele’s cross at the far post.
“This match will help us improve for the end of the season. It made us work on our courage,” defender Marquinhos said.
“This is the best possible end to the season, the good times are coming. We’re here now and we need to keep going like this.”
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 their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title, needing a single point on Saturday when they host lowly Angers.
After that, they face Aston Villa at home in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
Dunkerque, who are in fifth place in Ligue 2, saw their dream Cup run come to an end after a campaign that featured stunning upset wins over top-flight sides Lille and Brest.
