PSG beats Montpellier on penalties to reach French Cup final

<p>PARIS &mdash; Paris Saint-Germain led twice through goals by Kylian Mbappe but needed penalty kicks to beat Montpellier and reach the French Cup final on Wednesday.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ligue-1-marseille-europe-soccer-sports-aac3f3fca37fe37971f4ea553e89ac39">Although PSG’s league title defense is hanging by a thread</a>, it remains on course for a record-extending 14th cup win. PSG plays the winner of Thursday’s match between high-flying Monaco and fourth-tier Rumilly-Vallières.</p>
<p>Mbappe put PSG ahead in the 10th minute, but the visitors were punished for wasting chances when striker Gaetan Laborde equalized on the stroke of halftime with a superb shot into the top right corner.</p>
<p>Five minutes after the break, Mbappe was given far too much space on the left to cut inside for his 39th goal of another prolific season.</p>
<p>Poor defending cost PSG again, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ligue-1-marseille-europe-soccer-sports-aac3f3fca37fe37971f4ea553e89ac39">just like last Sunday against Rennes</a>, and Montpellier sliced through midfield on a swift counterattack that concluded with lively striker Andy Delort turning in Laborde’s cross at the back post.</p>
<p>Montpellier coach Michel Der Zakarian was angry his side was not awarded a penalty near the end for an apparent push in the back on a corner.</p>
<p>“If that’s PSG, then it’s a penalty,” he shouted. “It’s scandalous.”</p>
<p>Yet he was indebted to center half Vitorino Hilton for clearing Mauro Icardi’s shot off the line in the third minute of stoppage time, and to goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud for a save seconds later.</p>
<p>The first five Montpellier penalty takers all scored, leaving Neymar to keep PSG in the competition. He did so with a typically confident and casual effort.</p>
<p>After Montpellier midfielder Junior Sambia blazed over and Neymar goaded Montpellier’s players, striker Moise Kean sent PSG to its seventh straight final.</p>
<p>MISMATCH</p>
<p>Part-timers Rumilly-Vallières face eight-time French champion and five-time Cup winner Monaco at the ramshackle Stade des Grangettes, which only has one stand and where attendance normally costs five euros ($6). </p>
<p>But fans are still not allowed to attend amid coronavirus restrictions.</p>
<p>Monaco last won the cup in 1991 and lost the 2010 final to PSG.</p>
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