Lens Edge Lyon on Penalties to Reach French Cup Semi-Finals

Lens kept their hopes alive for a historic league and cup double by defeating Lyon 5-4 on penalties on Thursday, following a thrilling 2-2 draw in their French Cup quarter-final.

Florian Thauvin was the star for Lens, scoring a goal, providing an assist during normal time, and ultimately converting the decisive penalty to send his team into the semi-finals.

Currently sitting just four points behind Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, Lens are not only chasing league glory but also dreaming of lifting the French Cup for the first time. In the semi-finals, they will host Toulouse next month, who edged past Marseille 4-3 on penalties after another 2-2 quarter-final draw.

Match Recap

Lens stormed into a 2-0 lead at the Groupama Stadium. Thauvin opened the scoring midway through the first half after Saud Abdulhamid’s shot was saved, before Abdallah Sima struck a thunderous finish in first-half stoppage time to double the advantage.

Lyon fought back in the second half, with Roman Yaremchuk hitting the bar and then scoring with a header from substitute Remi Himbert’s cross. The drama intensified when 18-year-old Himbert netted a stoppage-time equaliser, sending the game straight to penalties.

Penalty Shoot-Out Drama

With no extra time in the French Cup before the final, the match went to a shoot-out. Lyon’s Moussa Niakhate was the only player to miss, his effort denied by goalkeeper Robin Risser. Thauvin calmly stepped up to score the winning kick, securing Lens’ spot in the last four.

Other French Cup quarter-final results saw Nice defeat Lorient on penalties and set up a semi-final clash with Strasbourg, who had beaten Reims 2-1 on Tuesday.

Lens now look to continue their impressive run, aiming to challenge PSG in Ligue 1 and make a historic cup triumph, with Thauvin leading the charge.