Lens 4-1 Toulouse: Sage´s men cruise into first Coupe de France final in 28 years

Lens booked their place in the Coupe de France final for the first time since 1998 after cruising to a 4-1 victory over Toulouse at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

The hosts got three goals in a stunning first half, before rounding it off late in the second, and will face either Strasbourg or Nice as they attempt to lift the trophy for the first time.

Lens were awarded a ninth-minute penalty following a VAR review after Pape Diop felled Florian Thauvin, with the striker stepping up to coolly fire the spot-kick into the left side of the net, leaving Kjetil Haug stranded.

Thauvin was then involved again in the 18th minute as he drove down the right before squaring to Allan Saint-Maximin, who curled a stunning effort into the right side of the net.

Toulouse showed some fight just three minutes later, however, when Lens lost the ball in their own half, and Emersonn teed up Santiago Hidalgo, who bundled a low shot into the bottom-right corner.

Lens restored their two-goal cushion in the 35th minute, though. Saud Abdulhamid fought his way to the byline before squaring a ball across goal, and Matthieu Udol was left with a simple tap-in.

Odsonne Edouard dragged wide as Lens made a bright start to a second half that then tapered off, but they would add some more gloss after 74 minutes.

Thauvin’s curling free-kick was pushed away by Haug, but Abdulhamid was on hand to tee up Adrien Thomasson in front of an empty goal for a simple finish.