Paris Saint-Germain narrowly escaped a historic upset, rallying from two goals down to defeat Ligue 2 side Dunkerque 4-2 at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, securing their place in the Coupe de France final. The victory keeps PSG on course for a record-extending 16th title in the competition, maintaining their unbeaten domestic record this season, though they were pushed to the brink by a spirited Dunkerque side appearing in only their second semi-final in 95 years.
Dunkerque stunned the reigning champions just seven minutes in, capitalizing on a rare foray forward. Alec Georgen flicked Naatan Skytta�s free-kick to the back post, where Vincent Sasso smashed the ball off the underside of the crossbar and into the net. PSG, under Luis Castro, responded with relentless pressure, but Dunkerque�s defense held firm, thwarting Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doue.
The underdogs doubled their lead in the 27th minute, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Gaetan Courtet nodded Ewen Jaouen�s long ball into the path of Muhannad Al-Saad, who outmaneuvered Nuno Mendes and finished clinically. PSG�s probing continued, and their persistence paid off just before halftime when Dembele unleashed a venomous strike to halve the deficit.
The second half began with controversy. Three minutes after the restart, PSG were awarded a corner despite Marquinhos heading wide, and the Brazilian made no mistake from the set-piece, nodding past Jaouen to level the score. Dunkerque nearly hit back immediately, with Skytta�s effort agonizingly close, but PSG began to assert their dominance. Doue saw one shot blocked and another drift wide, while Dembele forced a save from Jaouen.
The turning point came when Doue�s shot took a wicked deflection, wrongfooting Jaouen and giving PSG the lead. Dunkerque refused to capitulate, with substitute Yacine Bammou injecting fresh energy, but their hopes were dashed in the 94th minute. Dembele pounced on a defensive error, racing through to slot home coolly and seal a 4-2 victory.
The result marked Dunkerque�s fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions, yet their remarkable run�knocking out three top-flight teams�earned them plaudits. For PSG, the comeback showcased their resilience, with Dembele�s brace and contributions from Marquinhos and Doue proving decisive. Achraf Hakimi also went close late on, forcing a save from Jaouen, who had earlier denied another deflected Doue effort.
PSG now await their final opponent, one match away from adding to their storied Coupe de France legacy. Castro praised his team�s character: �We faced a tough challenge, but the players showed their quality to turn it around.� Dunkerque�s valiant effort may have ended in defeat, but their performance will linger as a testament to their tenacity against one of Europe�s elite.
