RC Lens beat Toulouse FC (4-1) to reach their first Coupe de France final since 1998, as the club seek to win the competition for the first time in their history.
These two sides faced each other at the Stade Bollaert on Friday night in the league. On that occasion, Toulouse raced into a 2-0 lead before the 15-minute mark, only to go down to 10 men just moments later. They would go on to lose in the dying seconds (3-2).
Second time the charm for Sage? Fourth time lucky for Lens?
This time, it was Lens who took control of the game. Florian Thauvin opened the scoring from the spot before Allan Saint-Maximin doubled the score inside the opening 18 minutes. Santiago Hidalgo halved the deficit moments later, but Pierre Sage’s side were always in control against a side that won this competition back in 2023.
Lens, having lost three finals, the last one coming in 1998, are still in search of their first Coupe de France title, and thanks to Adrien Thomasson’s second-half finish, they will get another chance (4-1). Sage, having led Olympique Lyonnais to the Stade de France just two years ago, will now take charge in a second Coupe de France final in just three years. Their qualification for the final, which will take place on 22nd May (where they will face RC Strasbourg Alsace or OGC Nice), was greeted with a pitch invasion at the Stade Bollaert.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
