Florian Thauvin, Odsonne Édouard, and Abdallah Sima all scored as Lens to saw off a spirited challenge from Nice in Friday’s Coupe de France final at the Stade de France. Having challenged PSG in the league for most of the season, Pierre Sage’s men have now clinched the club’s first-ever domestic cup win to cap off a history-making campaign. 

The match

This year’s Coupe de France finalists will have had vastly differing fortunes over the course of the league season. While Lens challenged Paris Saint-Germain for the title (for the second time in four years, no less), Nice’s season has disintegrated ever since losing in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League in August. Les Aiglons are now due to play a relegation play-off against Saint-Étienne next week. 

For the Sang et Or, Friday’s trip down to Paris was the chance to cap off a history-making season by winning the club’s first-ever Coupe de France. The Lens faithful vastly outnumbered the fans who had come up from the French Riviera, partly due to the distance and the last-minute changes to the later contingent’s travel arrangements. 

The primary threat in the opening exchanges came from Nice’s through ball’s for Elye Wahi, which were wll dealt with by Ganiou. A Lens corner later fell for Allan Saint-Maximin at the back post, but the ensuing curled shot could only graze the top of Maxime Dupé’s bar.

A misunderstanding between Robin Risser and his defence then granted Wahi an open-goal chance, but the Ivorian international was also unable to keep his shot down. Saint-Maximin again came close to scoring minutes later, having rounded the goalkeeper before seeing his shot from a tight angle blocked by the defender.

After a spell of pressure from Nice, it was Lens who struck first halfway through the first half. Matthieu Udol would race past Jonathan Clauss down the left wing and towards the box, with his cutback finding Florian Thauvin. The 33-year-old made no mistake from the middle of the box, slotting a left-footed shot past Dupé into the bottom corner.

The Artois side doubled their lead just before half-time, as Odsonne Édouard escaped his marker to head in a corner which was swung in by Adrien Thomasson. Claude Puel’s men did manage to pull one back just before half-time, though. It was Djibril Coullibaly who managed to sneak in a header past Risser, after the newly-called up French international did well to turn a shot away for a corner.

Lens were nevertheless on the front foot again when the second half kicked off. Saint-Maximin was again involved, as he found Thauvin with backheel before the World Cup winner saw his shot blocked. The follow-up efforts from Thomasson were also thwarted.

Nice had a few chances of their own over a spell around the hour mark where their opponents were making too many stray passes, with Antoine Mendy notably hitting the bar with a close-range header. By the time the final entered its final twenty minutes, Les Aiglons had the clear upper hand.

Just as Lens looked increasingly subdued, it was the substitute Abdallah Sima, having only just come on for Odsonne Édouard, who restored the two-goal cushion. Les Aiglons never looked like threatening in the latter stages. Lens, meanwhile, were buoyed on by the 50,000-strong travelling contingent who made up a sea of blood and gold in the Stade de France stands. The first Coupe de France win of their 120-year history will have been a long time coming.

Lens player ratings

Robin Risser, 6

Kyllian Antonio, 7

Ismaëlo Ganiou, 8 – The Burkina Faso international, still only 21, once again stepped up on the big occasion. He made some vital last-ditch tackles when Nice appeared to be gaining control midway through the second half, and was otherwise a calming presence throughout the match.

Florian Thauvin, 7

Adrien Thomassom, 6

Allan Saint-Maximin, 7

Odsonne Édouard, 6

Nice player ratings

Antoine Mendy, 5

Jonathan Clauss, 4

Hicham Boudaoui, 4

Elye Wahi, 3

Djibril Coulibaly, 6