Undefeated in the French Cup since February 2023, Paris Saint-Germain fell Monday night at the Parc des Princes against its neighbor, Paris FC. A defeat that means elimination, but also a lighter schedule. More of a "good thing" looking ahead to the Champions League.

This PSG is not accustomed to losing and will never rejoice in a defeat, especially when it means elimination. PSG loves the French Cup, and Luis Enrique respected the competition yesterday. His team did too, since it took 25 shots on goal and deserved a better fate. But PSG showed great clumsiness, also lacked a bit of luck, and ran into a goalkeeper on fire.

"It was a very complete match, and we played very well," summarized Luis Enrique in the post-match press conference. "We created many chances, we did the job well, we deserved it, we dominated the match. No problem with the match! But it's a sport in which you have to score goals; they scored one, and we scored none. That's football. But I am very happy with what I saw, with how the team played collectively and individually. The result is unfair to me, but you have to accept it, that's all."

This result, although very disappointing, has a direct consequence for PSG, rather beneficial in this case. This elimination from the French Cup will indeed allow PSG to have a slightly less congested schedule in the coming weeks, which is not insignificant after the year 2025, which was the most successful, but also the most grueling in the club's history.

READ MORE: Luis Enrique Reacts Positively After PSG's French Cup Exit To Paris FC

In January, PSG has already played three matches and will play four more, including two in the Champions League, knowing it will also face Strasbourg on Feb. 1. If PSG had qualified Monday night, it would have played its French Cup round of 16 match between the trip to Strasbourg (Feb. 1) and hosting Marseille (Feb. 8) in Ligue 1. Two very important matches for PSG in the league.

Unless there is a huge surprise, Marseille will qualify this Tuesday night against Bayeux (6th division) and will therefore arrive at the Parc des Princes on Feb. 8 having played a French Cup round of 16 match a few days earlier. The French Cup quarterfinal is scheduled for early March, just before hosting Monaco in Ligue 1 and a week before the Champions League round of 16.

READ MORE: The Good, The Fair And The Poor Of PSG's Stunning French Cup Elimination

The Champions League will also dictate the tempo of PSG's schedule in the coming weeks because if Luis Enrique's team, currently 3rd in the Champions League standings, maintains its place in the Top 8 after the league phase (PSG travels to Sporting CP in a week then hosts Newcastle on Jan. 28), it will be exempt from the playoffs, which are scheduled for Feb. 17-18 and 24-25.

PSG could therefore, if all goes as planned, have only Ligue 1 to play in February, meaning 4 to 5 matches since the date of the match vs. Le Havre has not yet been set. The Le Havre vs. PSG match for Ligue 1's 24th matchday will be played on Feb. 27 or 28, or possibly Sunday, March 1.

PSG's definitive schedule for January 2026:

PSG's provisional schedule for February 2026:

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