Mbappe on target as PSG beat Nice to reach French Cup semi-finals

Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward #07 Kylian Mbappe reacts ahead of the French L1 football match between Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on February 25, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Kylian Mbappe returned to the starting line-up and scored as Paris Saint-Germain beat Nice 3-1 in the quarter-finals of the French Cup on Wednesday.

Having only been used as a substitute in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Reims in Ligue 1, Mbappe was recalled in one of six changes made by coach Luis Enrique.

He responded by opening the scoring in the 14th minute at the Parc des Princes, and Fabian Ruiz soon doubled the home side’s lead.

Gaetan Laborde pulled one back before the break for Nice, but Brazilian defender Lucas Beraldo’s first PSG goal sealed the win on the hour mark.

Ten points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and through to the Champions League quarter-finals, the result means PSG remain in with a chance of winning a clean sweep of honours this season.

“The team has clearly improved and I think we will keep improving,” said Luis Enrique.

“We are in a key moment of the season, into the final third, and we are still alive in every competition. We need to remain humble and try to be even more competitive, but we are in great form.”

The capital side, record 14-time winners of the French Cup, will now play Rennes at home in the semi-finals on April 3, with Lyon hosting second-tier Valenciennes in the other tie a day earlier.

PSG have won the competition six times in the last decade but failed to do so in either of the last two years. This year’s final will be played in Lille on May 25.

Mbappe has either started on the bench or been substituted in each of PSG’s four Ligue 1 games since he informed