PSG seal seventh French Cup win

A goal at the beginning of each half ensured Paris Saint-Germain FC won the French Cup and qualified for the UEFA Cup next season with a 2-1 defeat of Olympique de Marseille on Saturday night.

Commanding Kalou
Bonaventure Kalou got the side from the French capital off to the best of starts with a goal after just four minutes, striking the opener in off the bar with a shot from ten metres out, and the goalscorer grew in stature thereafter with a commanding performance. PSG doubled their lead four minutes after the break when Vikash Dhorasoo sprung the offside trap and raced clear from the halfway line before dispatching a shot past Fabien Barthez from the edge of the penalty area. In a frenzied spell Kalou then hit the crossbar from close range before Jérôme Rothen hit the post from a free-kick.

Comeback hope
Marseilles somehow kept the deficit down to just two goals and then scored completely against the run of play, Toifilou Maoulida completing a fine team move to give his side hope of a comeback with 23 minutes left on the clock, but Taye Taiwo’s free-kick and Sabri Lamouchi’s latye effort were both off target and PSG clinched their seventh French Cup. Eighth in the league with three games to go, PSG were in danger of missing out on European football next season but their win now leaves sixth-placed Marseilles's with that UEFA Cup quandary.

First-half flurry
Meanwhile in Ligue 1, RC Lens moved to within two points of third-placed LOSC Lille Métropole after completing a 4-2 away victory against their local rivals at the Stade Bollaert. The visitors raced to a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Olivier Thomert, Daniel Cousin and Seydou Keita. Although Peter Odemwingie reduced the arrears to 3-1 five minutes into the second half a bad day for the home side worsened after Lens restored their two-goal lead courtesy of Pierre-Alain Frau.

European race
Kader Keïta scored a consolation goal for Lille after 69 minutes before team-mate Kevin Mirallas and Lens full-back Yohan Demont were both sent off in a bad-tempered finale. Lens are now level on points with Stade Rennais FC who host Paris Saint-Germain FC on Wednesday as the race hots up for third place in Ligue 1 and a UEFA Champions League third qualifying round berth. The side that finished fourth will qualify for next season’s UEFA Cup.