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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Presnel Kimpembe has expressed his disappointment at being knocked out of the Coupe de France by OGC Nice.
The Parisians were held to a 0-0 draw in the Round of 16 clash and were then beaten 6-5 in the penalty shootout that ensued after 90 minutes of goalless action. After Dante converted his penalty, midfielder Xavi Simons failed to beat Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka in the sudden-death.
The defeat means the Ligue 1 giants will not play in the final of the Coupe de France for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
Defender Kimpembe revealed after the game that the players are disappointed after being knocked out as they want to win everything, saying:
"We missed the small goal to win. We had a good match. The whole team was concerned, we had opportunities. It's a disappointment, we want to win everything. Unfortunately, tonight, we are eliminated on penalties. We will remember the good game."
PSG fail to take their chances as pressure mounts on Mauricio Pochettino
The pressure on Mauricio Pochettino has certainly intensified after PSG’s shock exit from the French Cup.
The Parisians named a strong lineup as the trio of Mauro Icardi, Lionel Messi and Julian Draxler started in attack, with Kylian Mbappe coming off the bench. However, none of the four forwards could make a decisive contribution to win the game for their side.
PSG saw more of the ball and created more openings than Nice. However, Marcin Bulka, who is incidentally at Nice on loan from Paris, had a relatively comfortable night in goal.
After the game, Pochettino said the team needed to be more clinical in front of goal as penalties are always a lottery:
"We must be more clinical. When you get to penalties, it is a lottery. You have to take your chances in front of goal before getting to pens.”
PSG are expected to win Ligue 1, but it’s unlikely Pochettino will be judged only on that. The French side will have to progress deep into the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, but that is also easier said than done.
The Parisians have drawn Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League and will hope to put in a good display to knock out the 13-time winners. The first leg of the tie will take place at the Parc des Princes on February 15, with the second leg slated for March 9.
