Surprising Elimination

Surely, many people anticipated that PSG would be eliminated from the Champions League. After all, they were playing mighty Barcelona.

But when PSG faced Evian Thonon Gaillard FC, in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France, even though they were playing in Gaillard, few expected the Parisian outfit to bow out.

Bow they did, though, because Evian were not pushovers in this one.

Although Paris Saint-Germain opened the scoring, in the 8th minute, through Javier Pastore (with a beautiful volley shot), Evian stroke back 2 minutes before half-time, through a nicely-worked attack sequence that allowed Saber Khelifa to simply push the ball over the line, into an empty net.

PSG did not employ a few crucial players, and one of the main players who did play, Thiago Motta, was sent off for losing his cool and kicking an opponent in the abdomen, close to the end of extra time.

Ancelotti's team had Ibrahimovic on the pitch, but was without main goalkeeper, Sirigu.

And penalties eventually came.

Wouldn't you know it, Ibrahimovic was the first PSG player to take a PK, and he missed! The second PSG penalty taker also missed.
Meanwhile, the Evian takers were smashing the ball, at mid-distance and to their right. All the time. And all four of their shots went in.
Yes, four, not five, because even though Lavezzi scored the third PSG penalty, the fact that Evian had converted all of their four chances made the last two PSG PK kicks irrelevant.

So, PSG has been eliminated again. It's been a dark eight-day period for Carlo Ancelotti and his men, following their Champions League exit.
Only Ligue 1 remains, for them, but luckily they have by far the best chance to win that tournament.

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