PSG overcome early scare to advance in French Cup

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain secured their place in the last 16 of the French Cup with a hard-fought 4-2 win over fifth-tier FC Espaly on Wednesday.

Espaly stunned the Ligue 1 giants early when Kevis Gjeci capitalized on Arnau Tenas’ mistake to score in the third minute. Despite dominating possession, PSG initially struggled to find the breakthrough, with Fabian Ruiz’s 20th-minute strike ruled out for offside.

The equalizer finally came in the 37th minute through a spectacular long-range effort from Warren Zaire-Emery. Espaly goalkeeper Jordan Etienne delivered an inspired performance but was beaten again in the 67th minute by Desire Doue.

Espaly briefly reignited their hopes when Maxence Fournel scored four minutes later, but PSG’s superior quality ensured a comfortable finish.

“It was complicated,” admitted Doue. “We were taken by surprise at the start but stayed serious and pushed hard. We managed to come back and be more effective, though we missed many chances.”