Paris Saint-Germain triumphed over Lyon with a 2-1 victory in Saturday’s French Cup final, marking Kylian Mbappe’s last appearance for the club before his anticipated move to Real Madrid.
In a match held at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy, PSG secured their 15th French Cup title, thanks to first-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz. Despite a second-half comeback attempt by Lyon, highlighted by Jake O’Brien’s goal, PSG held on for the win.
Mbappe, unable to add to his club-record tally of 256 goals, played his 308th and final game for PSG. His departure concludes a remarkable tenure that began with his 180 million-euro move from Monaco in 2017, during which he helped the club win four French Cup titles, six Ligue 1 titles, and two League Cups.
PSG’s victory completed a domestic league and cup double in Luis Enrique’s first season as coach, though their campaign was marred by a Champions League semi-final exit against Borussia Dortmund.
The final was overshadowed by pre-game clashes involving about 100 Lyon supporters and 200 PSG fans at a motorway toll south of Lille. The violence resulted in two coaches being set on fire and 20 supporters sustaining minor injuries. French President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the match, condemned the incidents.
In the game itself, PSG took the lead midway through the first half when Dembele scored with a header after being left unmarked. Dembele then assisted Ruiz, who scored at the second attempt in the 34th minute.
Lyon, who had a remarkable season turnaround to finish sixth in Ligue 1, pulled one back 10 minutes after the break with O’Brien’s header. However, PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made a crucial save, and Alexandre Lacazette’s deflected shot ensured PSG’s victory.
Mbappe finishes his final season in Paris with 44 goals across all competitions, including eight during PSG’s run to the Cup final. The game, which was moved to Lille due to preparations for the Olympics at Stade de France, saw PSG fend off an early Lyon onslaught and withstand a late surge to secure the win.
