PSG have beaten Monaco 2-0 to lift the French Cup for the 14th time in history. Mauro Icardi struck earlier after a defensive mistake from Monaco, who had a shot hit the woodwork later on in the second half. Kylian Mbappe killed off the game with a brilliant goal in the 81st minute, and PSG also collected their second domestic honour of the season, having won the Trophee Des Champions earlier this year. Here are the three talking points from the Coupe de France final.
Mbappe proving once again he is a big match player
We have already seen Kylian Mbappe stepping up to the big games this season – against Barcelona and Bayern Munich were the few instances – and the World Cup winner put on a top-notch display against his former club in the French Cup final. From laying off the ball to Icardi’s opening goal to nonchalantly finishing off Angel Di Maria’s through ball for the winning goal, Mbappe had everything under his control to help his side win the French Cup. The 22-year-old has already mustered 41 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season, and he is indubitably on his way to be a world-beater.
Monaco weren’t competitive enough.
Niko Kovac has revived Monaco to be top-four contenders, and a domestic title like French Cup could have been the cherry on the cake for them. However, the third-placed team in Ligue 1 weren’t competitive enough to trouble Les Parisiens as they garnered only one shot on target throughout the game. Furthermore, it was their defensive lapse that allowed PSG to break the deadlock.
Pochettino looks to have defended his job by winning the second domestic title
The Pressure was mounting on Mauricio Pochettino prior to the game as PSG had suffered a setback in the Champions League and were also trailing LOSC Lille in the Ligue 1 title race. However, the Argentine boss weathered the storm to inspire his side to the Coup de France title, a much-needed victory that might have saved his job.
