PARIS: Kylian Mbappe’s strike propelled Paris St Germain into the French Cup final with a comfortable 1-0 win over Stade Rennais on Wednesday, taking them one step closer to a 15th trophy.

A dominant PSG looked set to take the lead early in the game but goalkeeper Steve Mandanda thwarted their attempts and saved a penalty from Mbappe in the 37th minute.

However, the 25-year-old striker opened the scoring three minutes later, latching on to a pass from Fabian Ruiz for his eighth goal of the tournament as the Parc des Princes erupted.

PSG will face Olympique Lyonnais in the cup final on May 25 after they beat 3-0 Valenciennes FC on Tuesday.

Rennes were desperate for an equaliser in the second half to force a penalty shootout but a Martin Terrier effort was the best they could muster, while Mandanda denied PSG a further advantage.

“It was a difficult first half but we completely dominated the game. Rennes were very good. We had a lot of pace in the first half and in the second half we had the chance to make it two but Mandanda was impressive,” PSG boss Luis Enrique said. “Cups in any country are particularly important and this has been one of our objectives since the start of the season.”

The final at the end of next month could end up being Mbappe’s last game as a PSG player, with the 25-year-old having informed the club of his intention to depart after this season when his contract expires.

The Ligue 1 season concludes on May 18, although the Champions League final will be played in London on June 1 — PSG, who are top of the Ligue 1 standings, are still alive in Europe and face Barcelona in the first leg of the quarter-final next week.

“Before we think about the Champions League, we have to think about Clermont Foot [in Ligue 1]. It’s important for the team to perform at a high level in all competitions,” Luis Enrique added. “Playing against my former team [Barca] will be nice but I want us to be competitive and play a great game.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2024