Email
Print
Digg This
By Patrick Vignal
PARIS, May 24 (Reuters) - A Sidney Govou goal in extra time gave Olympique Lyon a 1-0 win over Paris St Germain in Saturday's French Cup final to complete their first domestic double.
Lyon had to wait for the 102nd minute to see winger Govou collect a Karim Benzema cross and score with a powerful shot from inside the box to give them further cause for celebration a week after they sealed their seventh successive league title. PSG, chasing a double of their own after winning the French League Cup, had the better chances in the game at the Stade de France but failed to lift the trophy for the eighth time.
Lyon, who looked rusty and short of ideas until Govou gave them victory, had been waiting for a Cup triumph since winning the competition for the third time in 1973.
"We're ever so happy because it's been such a long season and we had waiting for this for years," Govou told reporters.
"The Cup is something special," added the France forward, who took part in Lyon's seven league-winning campaigns. "Maybe this means more to me than to others because I've won everything with Lyon."
The match, on a rainy night on the outskirts of Paris, was a tense affair featuring seven yellow cards and few thrilling moves.
Paris made a spirited start and threatened on 10 minutes when defender Zoumana Camara rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
ON TOP
Lyon showed little until a distant free kick from Brazil midfielder Juninho flew just wide on 25 minutes.
PSG, who struggled all season in the league and narrowly avoided being relegated for the first time, were clearly on top during most of the game.
"This makes me mad because the team played an extraodinary match, controlled the game and created many chances," said PSG president Simon Tahar.
Sylvain Armand headed the ball into the net just before the break but the referee ruled fellow PSG defender Mario Yepes was offside and the tie remained goalless at halftime.
The second half was more balanced but the best chances were still for the Parisians, who had another header, this time by Yepes, bouncing off the bar on 65 minutes, and saw a close-range shot by substitute midfielder Bernard Mendy blocked by Lyon's France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet in added time.
The game was an emotional occasion for Coupet, who said he was leaving Lyon after more than 10 years at the club and has been linked in media reports with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
"There have been many great goalkeepers at Lyon and I think I wasn't too bad," said Coupet. "We didn't play well tonight but nobody will remember that."
