Lens Thrashes Toulouse 4-0 to Reach Coupe de France Final for the First Time Since 1998

Fresh from a thrilling comeback to defeat Toulouse 3-2 in Ligue 1 just days prior, Lens was eager to make an explosive start against Carles Martinez Novell’s team.

The home side quickly took control of the match, and their early efforts paid off when Pape Demba Diop clumsily brought down Florian Thauvin in the penalty area, allowing Thauvin to dust himself off and slot home the penalty past Kjetil Haug.

Riding high on their early success, Les Sang et Or extended their lead in the 18th minute, as Thauvin displayed remarkable vision to assist Allan Saint-Maximin, who calmly finished into the bottom corner from 20 yards out.

Despite the grim start to the match, Toulouse found a lifeline when Samson Baidoo surrendered possession in his own area, paving the way for Santiago Hidalgo to score from close range.

However, Lens maintained their dominance and nearly restored their two-goal advantage as Odsonne Edouard’s low shot was well saved by Haug.

Refusing to let Toulouse back into the match, the hosts added their third goal just before the break, with Matthieu Udol converting from inside the six-yard box following a pinpoint delivery from Saud Abdulhamid.

Having triumphed in eight of their last ten competitive encounters against Toulouse (D1, L1), Lens showed no signs of slowing down at the start of the second half, though Edouard squandered a few promising opportunities for Pierre Sage’s side.

On the other hand, Toulouse struggled to create meaningful chances, and Les Sang et Or ensured victory in the 74th minute when Abdulhamid selflessly squared for Adrien Thomasson to score, following Thauvin’s original free-kick save by Haug.

With a solid three-goal cushion, Lens navigated the final minutes comfortably at the vibrant Stade Bollaert-Delelis, as Mamadou Sangare and Abdallah Sima missed further chances to extend the lead.

Ultimately, it was a historic evening for Les Sang et Or, as Sage’s men edged closer to claiming their first-ever Coupe de France title, with either Strasbourg or Nice set to provide the final challenge.

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