French Cup – Lens defeats Toulouse 4-1 to advance to the final; Hidalgo's goal is not enough to save the day.

In the 2025/26 French Cup semi-final, Lens easily defeated Toulouse 4-1 at home. This victory propelled them into the final, where they will await the winner between Strasbourg and Nice.

Just five minutes into the game, Pape Diop brought Florian Thauvin down from behind in the penalty area. Lens were awarded a penalty, which Thauvin converted to give them a 1-0 lead.

After that, both sides scored in quick succession. In the 18th minute, Thauvin broke through on the left and delivered a cross, allowing Alan Saint-Maximin to unleash a long-range shot from outside the box to extend the lead. In the 21st minute, Samson Baido lost possession in his own penalty area, and Santiago Hidalgo capitalized to score, pulling one back for Toulouse. In the 35th minute, Saud Abdulhamid crossed from the right side of the penalty area, and Mathieu Udor finished to put Toulouse ahead again.

The second half began with both sides switching ends. In the 49th minute, Charlie Cresswell's poor clearance nearly gifted a goal, but fortunately, Odson Edwards' shot was saved by Seni Kumbasa. In the 53rd minute, Malang Sarr delivered a through ball from the left wing, and his long-range shot was comfortably caught by Shetier Hauge. In the 56th minute, Ismailo Ganiu crossed from the left wing, and Edwards' follow-up shot went just wide.

In the 74th minute, Lens sealed the victory: Thauvin's free kick from the edge of the box forced Hauge to parry the ball. Abdulhamid, lurking on the flank, immediately delivered a cross, assisting captain Adrian Tomasson to tap the ball into the empty net. Neither side managed to score again, and the final score remained 4-1.

Image source: Internet