PSG fends off cup upset against plucky Dunkerque
Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat second-tier Dunkerque 4-2 and reach the Coupe de France final.
Dunkerque, making its first semi-final appearance in the competition's history, took the lead after seven minutes when Vincent Sasso tapped home a ball from Alec Georgen after a set-piece.
Muhannad Yahya Al-Saad then fired home a low volley, catching the PSG backline off guard from a Gaetan Courtet flick-on, to extend the hosts' advantage in the 27th minute.
Dembele pulled one back just before half-time with a powerful shot from Achraf Hakimi's pass, and Luis Enrique's side never looked back from that point on.
Marquinhos equalised three minutes after the restart when stooping to head home Dembele's cross at the far post.
Desire Doue then put the visitors ahead just past the hour when his deflected shot beat Ewen Jaouen, before Dembele sealed the comeback by scoring his 32nd goal across all competitions this season.
PSG will face either Cannes or Reims, which meet on Thursday (AEDT), in the showpiece as it goes in search of a record-extending 16th Coupe de France crown.
According to PSG coach Luis Enrique, his side had to adapt to circumstances that were difficult to play in.
"It was a strange game. They crossed the midfield twice and scored two goals," he said.
"It didn’t really make sense, so we had to adapt. They defended really well, and we have to give them credit for that.
"Starting 2-0 down felt almost unreal, we couldn’t believe it. But we’re a team that can handle that too. We’ve got a young squad with a great ability to manage these kinds of moments."
Dembele's contribution was also not lost on Luis Enrique, who singled him out for praise alongside the rest of his side for coming through adversity.
"I think today was a real test for us, and we’re confident the team is ready for any situation," he said.
"The key in football is having top-quality players, and Ousmane is performing at an incredibly high level. We just need to keep that going in 2026, 2027… We don’t want to change anything."
