Paris Saint-Germain – Olympique Lyonnais: Sarabia Delivers Deciding Penalty in Cagey Cup Final (0-0, 6-5 After Penalties)

Paris Saint-Germain’s switch to a 4-3-3 formation did little to disguise the loss of Kylian Mbappé, as Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to create serious offensive chances. Meanwhile, a stridently defensive Olympique Lyonnais held off the Parisian giants for as long as they could – only to be undone with penalties. 
Tactical analysis and match report by K.T. Stockwell. 

It was far from the vintage performance from Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France, as Thomas Tuchel’s side snuck past Saint-Étienne with a 1-0 victory. The rust of the extended coronavirus break was compounded by the loss of Kylian Mbappé part way through the first half. The French national team striker was the victim of a horrid foul by ASSE captain, Loïc Perrin, and suffered an injury that will keep sidelining him until after the club’s Champions League meeting with Atalanta. 

In the hopes of covering for the loss of Mbappé, Tuchel changed his formation against Lyon: moving to a 4-3-3 shape. The adjustment meant the versatile Marquinhos moved into midfield, alongside Marco Verratti and Idrissa Gueye, while Mauro Icardi found himself acting as the lone striker, flanked by Neymar Jr. and Ángel Di Maria. 

It was a forgettable 2019/20 season for Olympique Lyonnais and an offseason that brought protracted fighting between club CEO, Jean-Michel Aulas, and just about every club chairman and member of the French government willing to spar with the entrepreneur. 

The sluggish year meant the only way for Lyon to qualify for Europe was through a victory in the Coupe. To achieve this, manager, Rudi Garcia went with a 3-5-2 formation, which saw the now . . .