The fifth-place match between Paris Saint-Germain and Maribor at the 9th Honvéd Motherson & Vulcan Shield Cup produced an eventful and goal-filled first half. The French, visibly at a physical disadvantage, again started sluggishly: Nick Bartolj missed a chance in the third minute, but Ante Macukat did not pass up his opportunity and gave the Slovenians the lead after a cross. A minute later Zayd Belarbi could have equalised, but Klopic was perfectly positioned and saved. In the 11th minute Nino Perkovic doubled Maribor's advantage, brilliantly finding the bottom-right corner despite Buan, the Filipino goalkeeper, almost keeping it out. In the 22nd minute Tsamoukounou burst down the left and smashed the ball into the roof of the net. In the 57th minute Markus Sever broke through, but PSG goalkeeper Buan also came off his line at the right moment, so no goal followed. In the 61st minute Bolou shot after a spectacular sequence of dribbles, the ball flashing just wide of the right post.
The French clearly moved up a gear in the second half, and that paid off in the 71st minute when Keenan Grenon-Rolle equalised. In the final minute Germain Borg's side launched a dangerous counter-attack and the Slovenian defenders could only stop Warren Laymard illegally inside the penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot and Yann Sanon confidently converted. PSG therefore finished fifth at the Honvéd Cup.
HONVÉD CUP, 2025/26, Fifth-place play-off
Paris Saint-Germain–NK Maribor 3–2 (1–2)
Bozsik Arena, 50 spectators. Referee: Gergő Muhari (Árpád Jakab, Dominik Dobos).
PSG: Buan – Cisse (Maboya, 31.) Samake, Laymard, Coulibaly (Razafimbahoaka, 53.), Belarbi (Soh, 53.), Namory (Sanon, – at half-time), Ciobanu (Morisseau, – at half-time), Boluou, Mbandzoulou (Grenon-Rolle, 34.), Tasamoukounou. Head coach: Germain Borg
Maribor: Klopic – Perkovic, Breznik, Sirec, Hribar, Kristan, Macukat, Nuhanovic (Grimm, – at half-time), Kores (Kocbek – at half-time), Bartolj (Skok, 69.), Sever (Lavric, 78.). Head coach: Matevz Potocnik
Goals: Tsamoukounou (22.), Grenon-Rolle (71.), Sanon (80.); Macukat (4.), Perkovic (11.).
