Blanc's scruffy PSG must improve to stave off Mourinho rumours

 It took a controversial refereeing decision and a defensive mix up to give the Ligue 1 champions the Coupe de la Ligue trophy - but they were far from their best

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Paris Saint-Germain have completed the second leg of a potential French treble, but they were made to work exceptionally hard for a 2-1 victory over Lille in the Coupe de la Ligue final.

With the Ligue 1 title already in the bag, Laurent Blanc’s out-of-sorts side rode their luck to overcome opponents who were arguably the form team in France, having won all of their previous six matches. PSG, on the other hand, no longer seem the untouchable side of the winter months and after crashing out of the Champions League to Manchester City 10 days previous came into this encounter with rumours circulating that Jose Mourinho could take over from Blanc in the summer.

Although they lifted the trophy, they did so with such a dearth of panache that questions will continue to be asked.

The Parc des Princes club made life difficult for themselves, with Adrien Rabiot sent off for two bookings against Lille for the second time this season. But just as PSG came through 1-0 on the opening night of the Championnat season after the young midfielder was dismissed, they would do so again in front of more than
70,000 at the Stade de France.




While the underdogs came into this match with a much-improved attack since the turn of the year, they are still a side noted for their defensive unit, so it was with a certain irony that PSG won the trophy because they were presented with the cheapest of goals. Adama Soumaoro was short with a back header, Vincent Enyeama came inadvisably from his box, and with 15 minutes left Angel Di Maria stroked the ball home to give the capital side the win.

It was an unjust moment for all concerned. Enyeama’s super save from the Argentine after just 22 seconds was much more emblematic of the performances of the players. The Nigerian was, with that one glaring exception, magnificent once again for his side, while Di Maria offered sparks of his undoubted talent, particularly after finding the net.

This was a victory that was achieved with the minimum of fanfare from the French champions. Aside from a whirlwind five-minute spell at the beginning of the game, they never looked capable of blowing their opponents away, and the players they so often rely upon in these circumstances were largely marginal. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Di Maria did not see much of the ball in dangerous areas, while Blaise Matuidi was not as effective at breaking into the box as is often the case.





Thiago Silva had the honour of lifting the Coupe de la Ligue, but it was not the kind of emphatic performance that the coach might have hoped for with his role under discussion.

There was no lack of effort, but they looked a touch flat in comparison to their super-charged opponents, whose last ditch defending for much of the match was impeccable. Sebastien Corchia did his chances of going to Euro 2016 no harm at all as Didier Deschamps watched the right-back turn in a strong display, while the rugged nature of Marko Basa in the heart of the back four shone through when he made a terrific goal-saving challenge on Lucas.

Lille have fair cause to curse their luck. Javier Pastore’s opening goal on the stroke of half-time should have been disallowed as the offside Layvin Kurzawa impeded Enyeama’s attempts to save the shot. It was a controversial strike and barely more appealing than PSG’s scruffy winner, yet these two moments encapsulated what was an uninspired performance.