Florian Thauvin shone brightly as Lens defeated Nice 3-1 to win the French Cup for the first time.
Thanks to a superb performance from Florian Thauvin, Lens defeated Nice 3-1 in a dramatic final at the Stade de France to claim their first ever Champions League title.
Lens wrote a new chapter in history at the Stade de France with a convincing 3-1 victory over Nice, officially lifting their first Coupe de France title. This achievement is a strong affirmation of the remarkable maturity of the Pas-de-Calais team under coach Pierre Sage.
The rise of Florian Thauvin
The final match began with Lens completely dominating. Florian Thauvin, the brightest star on the field, opened the festivities in the capital with a moment of individual brilliance in the 24th minute. Following a well-coordinated move down the wing, Matthieu Udol delivered a perfect pass for Thauvin to unleash a powerful shot, opening the scoring.
Not stopping there, the former Marseille striker continued his role as architect in the 41st minute. From a corner kick with an extremely difficult spin from Thauvin, Odsonne Edouard rose high to head the ball powerfully, doubling the lead while goalkeeper Maxime Dupe was helpless.
Nice's belated effort and the finishing blow.
It seemed Nice had collapsed, but hope was rekindled for Claude Puel's team in the final seconds of the first half. In the 45th minute, taking advantage of Lens' defensive lapse during a set piece, Djibril Coulibaly rose high to head the ball home, reducing the deficit to 1-2 after a corner kick from Jonathan Clauss.
In the second half, Nice pushed forward, creating suffocating pressure. In the 61st minute, Antoine Mendy nearly leveled the score if his close-range header hadn't hit the crossbar. However, at the height of their momentum, a personal mistake proved costly for Nice.
In the 77th minute, veteran defender Dante made a mistake, failing to clear the ball, allowing Abdallah Sima to break through. The striker displayed his killer instinct with a delicate finish, sealing a 3-1 victory for Lens.
Impressive statistics and a contrasting context.
This victory capped off an extraordinary season for Lens, as they both won the cup and finished as runners-up in Ligue 1. Florian Thauvin, in particular, set an impressive record by being involved in 16 goals since February, the highest number for a French player competing in the top five European leagues.
| Parameter | Lens | Nice |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 3 | 1 |
| Goal | Thauvin (24'), Edouard (41'), Sima (77') | Coulibaly (45+3') |
| Accurate shot | 6 | 4 |
In stark contrast to Lens's joy, Nice is sinking deeper into crisis. Their defeat in the final has severely impacted the team's morale ahead of the grueling Ligue 1 relegation play-off against St Etienne.
