Mbappé says goodbye to Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup final against Lyon

Star Kylian Mbappé will say goodbye to Paris Saint Germain in the French Cup final against Lyon, this Saturday at 4pm (Brasília time), in Lille, in a duel between the two best teams in the country in 2024. For PSG, achieving a record 15th Cup is one of the priorities of the season, after two consecutive eliminations in the round of 16.

For the team led by coach Luis Enrique, it is about finishing leaving a good image, after having won Ligue 1 and being eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund.

Mbappé’s presence in the decisive match of the last competition was in doubt after his absence due to injury in the last two games of the championship, against Nice and Metz, in addition to the tension between the player and the PSG board due to his departure at the end of the season.

⚽️ 𝐉𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐄 ⚽️

🆚 Olympique Lyonnais
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🏟️ Pierre-Mauroy Stadium, Lille
⌚️9 p.m

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— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) May 25, 2024

Luis Enrique ended the debate over his team’s star on Friday by saying “of course” he will start against Lyon.

For the final, the coach will be able to count on his best players, except Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas – Donnarumma’s replacement – ​​who will also leave the team and said goodbye to the club last Sunday against Metz.

PSG will enter the field as favorites, having beaten Lyon twice in the French championship and by the same broad result: 4-1.

Lyon euphoric

“It’s not the same thing, it was the championship and this is a final,” PSG’s Portuguese midfielder Vitinha observed cautiously.

Lyon have nothing to lose. It’s a euphoric group after the incredible recovery in the second half of the championship. In 2024, they won 12 games out of 17. The injury-time victory in the last game against Strasbourg (2-1), on Sunday, meant that the team finished in sixth place and secured themselves in the next Europa League.

Its main asset, veteran striker Alexandre Lacazette, is second in artillery with 19 goals.

“You have to enjoy being able to play in this final and give everything, not be afraid of doing badly, not regretting it at the end”, declared the goalscorer.

“Lacazette is a great player, we have faced each other many times. I know he is dangerous, he has quality inside and outside the box, he is complete and experienced,” said PSG captain Marquinhos.

The Brazilian spoke about Mbappé’s farewell: “He has been a very important player for us these years. In his last game we will try to use him in the best possible way. He has to have a special motivation and so do we to see him to play”.

Their coach, Luis Enrique, warned of the risks when facing Lyon: “They can be dangerous very quickly. They will create chances.”