Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) staged a remarkable comeback to defeat second-tier side Dunkerque 4-2 in the semi-finals of the French Cup on Tuesday, April 1.
The defending champions, trailing by two goals within the opening 27 minutes, fought back with a brace from Ousmane Dembélé, alongside goals from Marquinhos and Désiré Doué, to book their place in the final on May 24 at the Stade de France.
The match, played at Lille’s Pierre-Mauroy stadium, nearly produced one of the most stunning upsets in French Cup history.
Dunkerque, currently fifth in Ligue 2, had already eliminated three top-flight teams on their way to their first semi-final appearance in 96 years. Their dream of an improbable final berth seemed within reach when they took an early lead.
Dunkerque’s Dream Start
The underdogs stunned PSG in just the seventh minute when Alec Georgen’s headed pass found Vincent Sasso, whose strike off the underside of the crossbar gave Dunkerque a 1-0 lead.
Their advantage doubled before the half-hour mark when Gaetan Courtet flicked on a long goal kick, setting up Saudi Arabian winger Muhanad Al-Saad for a composed finish past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Dunkerque’s traveling supporters, who made the trip from the northern port city to Lille due to their home stadium’s limitations, erupted in celebration. The prospect of a historic upset loomed large as PSG struggled to break down their determined opponents.
PSG’s Comeback Begins
Just before half-time, Achraf Hakimi set up Dembélé, who hammered in a clinical strike to pull one back for PSG.
The goal injected new life into Luis Enrique’s side, and three minutes after the restart, the Parisians equalized through captain Marquinhos.
The Brazilian defender headed in a Dembélé cross from a short corner, though Dunkerque players protested, believing the officials wrongly awarded the corner.
The second-tier side nearly restored their lead moments later when Naatan Skytta’s header narrowly missed the target. However, PSG completed their turnaround in the 62nd minute as Désiré Doué combined with Bradley Barcola before unleashing a deflected shot into the net.
With Dunkerque pushing forward in search of a late equalizer, PSG capitalized on the counterattack deep in injury time. Dembélé, now with 32 goals in all competitions this season, burst through the defense and slotted home to seal the 4-2 victory.
PSG Awaits Final Opponent
With this victory, PSG advances to face the winner of Wednesday’s semi-final clash between Reims and fourth-tier Cannes.
Meanwhile, they remain on course for further domestic and European glory. If they avoid defeat against Angers on Saturday, they will be confirmed as Ligue 1 champions, and they also have a Champions League quarter-final against Aston Villa next week.
For Dunkerque, the defeat marks the end of a historic cup run, but their spirited performance against one of Europe’s biggest clubs will be remembered as a highlight of the tournament.
