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After a four-month hiatus, competitive football belatedly returned to France, with Paris Saint-Germain and Saint-Etienne squaring up in the final of the Coupe de France in front of a handful of spectators.
While the rest of mainstream Europe had seen a piled-up fixture list played out over the last one month, French teams had to contend themselves with playing friendly fixtures in that period due to the suspension of Ligue 1 in April.
Owing to the fact that it was their first competitive game back, the tempo was understandably low, with both sets of players looking short of full fitness.
The first chance of the match fell to St-Etienne, but Denis Bouanga could only watch on as his well-taken shot rattled the post. This helped spark PSG into life, with Neymar breaking the deadlock early in the first half.
The Brazilian reacted quickest to the parry from Jessy Moulin, who had saved Kylian Mbappe's goal-bound shot.
It was an even game for the rest of the first half, with both sides fashioning good chances. PSG, however, lost two players to injury before the interval. Thilo Kehrer was replaced by Colin Dagba in the 20th minute, while Kylian Mbappe was also withdrawn after being brought down cynically by Loic Perin the 27th minute.
The latter's injury sparked an ugly melee on the field, with a scuffle ensuing due to the horrendous nature of the challenge. Perin was deservedly shown his marching orders when his initial yellow card was changed to a red card after consultations with VAR.
Neither side could get on the scoresheet again and PSG ultimately did enough for the win. Here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the fixture.
#5 PSG reinforce domestic superiority
While the decision to prematurely end the French Ligue 1 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic might not have sat well with many, the points gap between PSG and the rest of the pack meant that their status as champions-in-waiting was undebatable.
Having won the league on a points-per-game basis, the Parisians had an opportunity to do the double with victory in this game. It was an opportunity they grabbed, with their 13th Cup victory ensuring they got their hands back on the Coupe de France after shockingly losing to Rennes in the final last year.
This victory would give Thomas Tuchel's men confidence heading into the Coupe de la Ligue final against Lyon next Friday, where they could make it a domestic treble.
#4 10-man Saint-Etienne hold their own against superior opposition
Coming into this fixture, PSG were overwhelming favourites to triumph in the clash and the pre-match odds given by bookmakers showed just how much of an outsider St-Etienne were.
However, Les Verts proved their mettle against the French superpower and held their own to prevent a scandalous defeat even when they were reduced to ten men.
#3 Confidence booster for PSG ahead of marquee fixtures
For all of their domestic invincibility, it is no hidden secret that the Champions League is where PSG's main aspirations lie.
Having eliminated Borussia Dortmund in the round-of-16, the Parisians are set to take on Atalanta in the quarterfinal. While this might look like an easy fixture on paper, the Italians have the potential to upset anybody on the continent.
Thomas Tuchel would have sought to use this clash with St-Etienne to get his side back into the winning mentality. This victory was exactly what the doctor ordered ahead of their clash with Lyon as well as their assault on the Champions League.
#2 PSG left sweating over Kylian Mbappe's fitness
As earlier touched on, Loic Perrin's tackle on Kylian Mbappe caused ugly scenes in the match, with no less than four yellow cards shown in the ensuing free-for-all.
In all honesty, the PSG players were within their right to react so angrily, as the tackle was truly horrendous and has no place even in the combat sports, least of all on a football field.
The 21-year-old was left clutching his ankles in visible agony and left the field for treatment, only to return to the PSG bench with his ankle in casts.
With less than three weeks to go before the resumption of Champions League football, PSG are sweating over the fitness of Mbappe. This is a less than ideal situation for the club, given his abilities as a genuine game-changer.
#1 Neymar the difference-maker once again
After a two-year spell that was ravaged by injuries and off-field issues, Neymar has starred this season as the difference-maker that PSG fans hoped he would be when they broke the world record fee to sign him in 2017.
The campaign started with injuries for the Brazilian, but he returned to full fitness in time and was the difference-maker in the round-of-16 elimination of Dortmund, with a goal in both legs to eliminate the Germans.
Neymar's status as a difference-maker is not in doubt and he starred with four goals from three friendly fixtures to get in tune for competitive action post-lockdown. Despite not being at his mercurial best, his 14th-minute strike was enough to make a difference once again.
The Brazilian's form will be crucial if PSG are to mount a serious challenge in the Champions League next month.
