with a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé, PSG easily dismisses Vannes and qualifies for the knockout stages

Twelve days after their last outing, a laborious draw in Lorient in Ligue 1 (1-1), Paris Saint-Germain signed a victory for the return from their short vacation. The capital club provided the essentials by eliminating Vannes in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France Monday, January 3 (4-0), enough to validate an 8th consecutive qualification for the knockout stages of the competition.

Quickly ahead thanks to a goal from Presnel Kimpembe on a corner (28th), the Parisians waited for the hour mark to kill the suspense. Without mercy, the inevitable Kylian Mbappé took care of it by slamming a hat-trick in the heart of the second half. LThe French international first made his speed speak by exploiting a long clearance from Kimpembe before concluding against the opposing goalkeeper who could only slow down the trajectory of the shot (59th).

He then lodged the ball under the bar without control on a deep pass from Xavi Simons (71st), conclusion in apotheosis of a sequence initiated by a festival of Marco Verratti (see below). The last of his three goals is offered by the incoming Eric-Junior Dina Ebimbe (79th), after a movement that he has greatly contributed to build. Paris could have made the addition even more difficult if the strike of his titi Edouard Michut had not found the crossbar on his way (81st) and Vannes came very close to scoring in added time, but the ball would not have not fully crossed the goal line and the score stuck at 4-0.

The capital club was able to make people forget the lack of automation of an insufficient first period, during which the most significant event was the suspicious flight of a drone over the lawn from the Rabine stadium (27th). At least, the capital club will have been able to give playing time to young players like Xavi Simons and Edouard Michut, in the absence of Lionel Messi, positive for Covid-19. The identity of his opponent will be revealed on Tuesday during the draw.