PSG boss will have to deliver

– Paris St-Germain will seek to draw their bitter-sweet season to a winning close when they take on unheralded Angers in today’s French Cup final.

PSG missed out on the Ligue 1 title to rivals Monaco, who finished eight points clear at the top of the table to break the Parisians’ hopes of a fifth consecutive trophy.

Despite that second place guaranteeing Champions League football next season, and victory over an under-strength Monaco in the League Cup final, PSG coach Unai Emery (above) has found himself in the spotlight of the ever-demanding Qatari owners.

Emery’s first season since joining from Sevilla saw PSG to a memorable 4-0 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League before the Catalans stunningly overturned that deficit at home in the last-16, meaning the Paris side missed out on the quarterfinals for the first time in five years.

“There were some changes last summer and after that we had some problems in the first half of the season,” PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp said, notably with the departure of stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Luiz.

“Our season wasn’t as bad as all that, we finished with 87 points in the league.”

PSG’s opponents in the 100th cup final will be Angers, who finished 12th in the league.

Despite a limited budget, Angers coach Stephane Moulin has moulded a team ethic based around tight on-field discipline which has paid dividends.

Angers’ appearance in the Cup final will be their first in 60 years, when they lost 6-3 to Toulouse, and just the second in their history. A win would also guarantee a spot in the Europa League. – AFP