Paris, July 25 (IANS): French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have bagged their second trophy of the season, beating 10-man Saint-Etienne 1-0 to lift the French Cup, but an injury to Kylian Mbappe in the first half cast a shadow over PSG’s victory.
The French striker limped off the pitch on Friday evening with an ankle injury after being tackled by Saint-Etienne captain Loic Perrin half an hour into the match, reports Xinhua news agency.
“Everyone is worried. Everyone who saw the foul is worried. Of course, I’m worried,” PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said after the match. “We have to be patient because we don’t have any news. I think he will undergo tests tonight,” Tuchel added.
Perrin’s bad foul sparked a furious melee between both sides and the 34-year-old veteran, who was playing his last match for Saint-Etienne after a 17-year spell, was immediately sent off which forced his team to play the rest of the match with 10 men.
“I hope Kylian is going to recover as quickly as possible because he’s a vital player for us,” said PSG captain Thiago Silva.
The 21-year-old French international, who later reemerged from the dressing room on crutches, is a serious doubt for PSG’s upcoming Champions League campaign.
Brazilian forward Neymar scored the only goal of the game, which marked the return of professional football in France after a four-month suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was also the first competitive match in one of Europe’s leading footballing countries which was played in front of spectators – around 5,000 people were allowed into the 80,000-seater stadium to watch the final.
French President Emmanuel Macron appeared in the stadium before kick-off and had talks with the players on the pitch with a mask on his face. Next Friday on the same pitch, Tuchel’s side will play Lyon in the French League Cup final as they seek to win a trio of domestic titles this season.
