Marseille beats arch-rival PSG to advance to Coupe de France quarterfinals

Ruslan Malinovskyi scored an excellent second-half winner as Marseille downed rival Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at Stade Velodrome on Thursday to reach the French Cup quarterfinals.

Marseille’s Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi (R) celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the French Cup round of 16 football match between Olympique Marseille (OM) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). | Photo Credit: AFP/NICOLAS TUCAT

Ruslan Malinovskyi scored an excellent second-half winner as Marseille downed rival Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at Stade Velodrome on Thursday to reach the French Cup quarterfinals.

Alexis Sanchez gave Marseille the lead just after the half-hour mark from the penalty spot before Sergio Ramos equalised on the stroke of half-time.

But Ukraine international Malinovskyi blasted the hosts back in front and it held on to beat PSG at home for the first time since 2011.

It was a second straight early Cup exit for record 14-time winners PSG after last season’s last-16 loss to Nice.

Igor Tudor’s Marseille will now be among the favourites to lift the trophy for the 11th time but the first since 1989.

Marseille, which slipped eight points behind leader PSG on Sunday after a 3-1 home loss to Nice, started slowly.

But it grew into the game after goalkeeper Pau Lopez had denied Nuno Mendes an early opener, with Matteo Guendouzi’s shot excellently saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Ramos was the culprit as Marseille forged ahead, clumsily fouling Cengiz Under just inside the area.

Sanchez stepped up to send Donnarumma the wrong way and score his 11th goal of a productive first season since joining OM from Inter Milan.

Lionel Messi, with a free-kick, and Neymar both came close to levelling before Ramos did just that by steering a header into the far corner from a Neymar set-piece in first-half stoppage time.

Marseille restored its lead in the 57th minute as a loose ball broke to Malinovskyi on the edge of the box and the on-loan Atalanta midfielder hammered a left-footed strike into the top corner.

PSG rarely carried a threat but almost forced a penalty shootout when Neymar set Messi in the clear, only for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to fire off target.

Ramos had an injury-time effort chalked off for a clear offside and headed a good chance straight at Lopez as Marseille clung on.

Earlier on Wednesday, holders Nantes edged past Ligue 1 bottom club Angers on penalties after Florent Mollet scored an 87th-minute equaliser to force spot-kicks following a 1-1 draw.

Lyon also won a shootout against Lille to progress, having earlier blown a two-goal lead to draw 2-2.

Toulouse saw off in-form Reims 3-1, while second-tier clubs Rodez, Annecy and Grenoble all also booked their places in the last eight.