Super sub Diaby sends PSG through
Paris Saint-Germain scraped into the Coupe de la Ligue quarter-finals thanks to a late goal from Moussa Diaby that secured a laboured 2-1 victory over Orleans.
In its first domestic cup outing of the season, PSG, winner of the last five Coupe de la Ligue trophies, rarely got out of first gear on Wednesday (AEDT), and was almost punished when Joseph Lopy hauled Ligue 2 side Orleans level in the 69th minute.
Edinson Cavani's moment of quality had separated the sides at the interval, with fine goalkeeping from Thomas Renault denying Cavani and Kylian Mbappe – making his final appearance as a teenager after replacing the injured Angel Di Maria – at bay after the restart.
But it was another teenager who would settle the contest, as Diaby breezed through weak Orleans defending to book PSG's place in the last eight.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting almost made the most of a rare start inside two minutes, but his strike was kept out by Renault.
Cavani, however, showed no such profligacy four minutes before half-time, lofting home a superb first-time finish after latching onto Di Maria's dinked throughball.
PSG's goalscorer could have put the game to bed in the 48th minute, only for Renault's trailing leg to prevent Cavani's close-range effort doubling the visitor's advantage before Orleans' goalkeeper made an equally impressive stop to deny Mbappe.
And Orleans took full advantage of their keeper's good work – Lopy arrowing a strike into the bottom-right corner after Christopher Nkunku had squandered possession.
Orleans' hopes of an upset were quashed with nine minutes remaining, though, as Diaby made the most of poor defending to settle the tie in PSG's favour.
Mbappe had Orleans' goal at his mercy in stoppage time but Gauthier Pinaud somehow pulled off an incredible block on the line to prevent the youngster adding further gloss after Renault had come up for a set-piece.