Within a few seconds, we would have found Paris as we had left it. But two weeks after ending 2024 with a penalty shootout, the capital club, thanks to Ousmane Dembélé, this time avoided opening 2025 with a finale of unbearable suspense. Far from the coldness of Lens and the Coupe de France, it was in Qatar, on the pitch of the 974 stadium in Doha, that PSG spared itself, in the very last seconds of the Champions Trophy, from reliving this exercise which tortures the nerves but magnifies the scenarios.
Since Paris is decidedly invincible on the national scene, even when it is exported internationally, Ousmane Dembélé once again played the executioners of an ASM that he had already defeated with a double three weeks ago in the championship . With one difference, however, since it was necessary to wait until the last seconds of added time to see the former Barcelona player, well served by Fabian Ruiz at the far post, convert the Parisian domination with a cross shot from the inside of the right during of this Champions Trophy that Monaco had decided to steal from him.
Because it is nothing more and nothing less than its property, almost its favorite toy, that Paris was putting back into play this Sunday in the Gulf. Twelve victories in total in the competition, ten in the last eleven editions, it was enough to take a look at the prize list to understand that Paris would not let go of its cup like that, without flinching, even less on its owner’s land.
However, he had to fight until the end, again, to win the 52nd title in its history and make Marquinhos the club’s most successful player (31) at the end of his 464th match in the Parisian jersey.
Three weeks after being robbed at home in the championship (2-4), AS Monaco gave the French champions a hard time all over the field, but especially in its area where Philippe Köhn, its goalkeeper Switzerland, maintained the suspense for a long time and disgusted the Parisian attackers.
Doué’s shot, which the Swiss goalkeeper deflected onto his bar (9th), in fact set the tone for what was to follow: a Parisian domination which would come up against, as a whole, a wall called Köhn. If, three weeks after being scarred by the crampons of Singo (suspended), Donnarumma will also have played the safe guy in his cage, it is his Monegasque counterpart who will have long played the hero by winning successively against Dembélé (21st, 23rd, 52nd), Lee (45th) or Hakimi (58th, 74th).
A resistance to any test or almost since it will end up giving in on the last Parisian push and this final attempt from Dembélé which will allow Paris to find the net on its… 28th shot of the game. A little late, but finally just in time.
