Lens win first-ever Coupe de France with victory over Nice to cap off stellar season

[p]With both teams desperate for silverware, it was a tense start to the contest, but the game kicked into life shortly before the quarter-hour mark.[/p][p]Les Sang et Or almost took the lead in style when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saint-maximin-allan/lfmyPFLA/"]Allan Saint-Maximin[/a]’s shot from just inside the box was steered inches over the bar, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wahi-sepe-elye/8jdHWf50/"]Elye Wahi[/a] spurned a golden opportunity from close range for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nice/YagoQJpq/"]Les Aiglons[/a].[/p][p]As the half progressed, Saint-Maximin rounded the goalkeeper to put himself in a brilliant position, only for his eventual effort to be superbly blocked just in front of the goal line.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="6be4fe0f-af13-40eb-856b-dda4b9d667b0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="6d0434af-20bf-4ea0-b98a-c398491137dc" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]At the other end, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/risser-robin/zHRwZwXF/"]Robin Risser[/a] produced impressive saves to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diop-sofiane/8fA5XmQC/"]Sofiane Diop[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dante/nNPcDNFr/"]Dante[/a] in quick succession.[/p][p][b]The deadlock was eventually broken after 25 minutes thanks to a precise finish from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thauvin-florian/SMbMSc26/"]Florian Thauvin[/a], who drilled home with his left foot from 15 yards out after meeting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/udol-matthieu/AuzyopRB/"]Matthieu Udol[/a]’s smart pass into the box. [/b][/p][p]Thauvin’s 14th goal of the season sent Les Sang et Or supporters wild at the prospect of a historic victory to cap off a tremendous season.[/p][p][b]And [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lens/IBmris38/"]Lens[/a] then doubled their advantage at a pivotal moment, putting themselves firmly in control when an excellent Thauvin corner found [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edouard-odsonne/0nQoakto/"]Odsonne Édouard[/a], whose header took a deflection before flying past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dupe-maxime/lz4moDgp/"]Maxime Dupé[/a].[/b][/p][image alt="Lens celebrate Edouard's goal" id="5af035f7-91b9-42d4-9a0c-0d095dd48d50" credit-line="REUTERS / Stephanie Lecocq" guid="a56543bb-147d-4147-9f71-45421b162463" original-width="2176" original-height="1460" /][p][b]However, Nice struck back in first-half stoppage time, setting up a fascinating second half, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/coulibaly-djibril/Yw6dNOVG/"]Djibril Coulibaly[/a]’s superb header from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clauss-jonathan/Ag37eHIn/"]Jonathan Clauss[/a]’s corner halved the deficit.[/b][/p][p]Les Aiglons fought hard in their quest for an equaliser and came agonisingly close to levelling shortly after the hour mark, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendy-antoine/zRrXS0P0/"]Antoine Mendy[/a]’s header from inside the box crashed off the bar to Lens’ huge relief.[/p][p][b]Despite Nice’s best efforts, Lens’ quality shone through, and they regained their two-goal cushion with 12 minutes remaining thanks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sima-abdallah/xzssoNnp/"]Abdallah Sima[/a]’s poked effort that rolled past the oncoming Dupé and over the line.[/b][/p][image alt="Sima celebrates his goal" id="e19f2475-beb4-4aca-89f7-f55fa8f36cbe" credit-line="REUTERS / Stephanie Lecocq" guid="52bc3a73-a47a-45c0-855d-7dfca91a1ee8" original-width="4746" original-height="3206" /][p]To Nice’s credit, Claude Puel’s side never gave up and hit the woodwork again with less than 10 minutes to go, when substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kevin-carlos/zLSwIsl9/"]Kevin Carlos[/a] saw his header bounce outside off the post.[/p][p]Ultimately, tonight was all about Lens making history, and they managed the latter stages of the game well to secure a famous victory, with a trophy representing a fitting end to an excellent campaign for Pierre Sage’s side.[/p][embed guid="0a2ec028-d825-4219-8335-077ad9fd3ab6" url="https://x.com/RCLens/status/2057931617885163815" social-type="twitter" /][p]Meanwhile, the season is still far from over for Nice as they travel to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-etienne/YL2QybFe/"]AS Saint-Étienne[/a] on Tuesday in the first leg of their Ligue 1 relegation play-off.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thauvin-florian/SMbMSc26/"]Florian Thauvin[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lens/IBmris38/"]RC Lens[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/lens-IBmris38/nice-YagoQJpq/?mid=SKrj5LdC"]See all the stats from the match here[/a][/b][/p]