Lyon cruise into Coupe de France final

Lyon were always going to be favorites playing at home against second division Valenciennes, and so it proved Tuesday night at a sold-out Groupama Stadium. Any doubts about the importance of this match were quickly put to bed, as Pierre Sage lined his side up in a first-choice eleven save Lucas Perri in goal, with Alexandre Lacazette leading the line and Orel Mangala returning in midfield.

The hosts were sharp from the off, as Ernest Nuamah almost put Les Gones in the lead with a diving header just five minutes into the match. Two minutes later, the Ghanaian had a chance to turn provider as he set up Saïd Benrahma, who couldn’t get his effort on target. Benrahma would then test Valenciennes ‘keeper Teddy Louchet with a stinging shot on the turn, but the PSG academy product was again sharp.

The rest of the first half continued with both sides pouring forward at will, with Nuamah missing a very presentable chance midway through the first half. Just ten minutes later, it was the visitors who had the ball in the net, but VAR spotted a foul in the build-up, and the match entered halftime with nothing to show from either side.

Lyon had dominated possession and chances, and their much-awaited breakthrough wasn’t long in coming once the match restarted, as Alexandre Lacazette won and converted a penalty on 51 minutes. The captain wasn’t satisfied with one goal, though, as Benrahma played a clever ball in to him just five minutes later, doubling the lead with just over half an hour to play. 

Continuing to control play, Sage made a handful of changes, and a double substitution on 72 minutes quickly played dividends as in-form Rayan Cherki set up Gift Orban for his second goal of the competition, sealing the result. After impressing in front of their home fans, Lyon had reached a first Coupe de France final in 12 years, and will take on the winner of tomorrow’s clash between Stade Rennais and Paris Saint-Germain. In the league, the team are back in action Sunday against Nantes, and will hope for a win that can keep them nipping at the heels of the European places.

Header: OL_English