Coupe de France: Lyon face test of mettle during Mbappé's farewell show for PSG
Hoisting the Coupe de France trophy on Saturday night in Lille at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain would cap a remarkable turnaround for Lyon.
At the end of 2023, the team and the club appeared to be in the doldrums, swirling in a vortex of ineptitude.
Laurent Blanc was sacked after four games with the team bottom of Ligue 1 with one point. His successor, Fabio Grosso, brought six points during his eight Ligue 1 games in change before he was dispatched on 30 November.
His replacement – Pierre Sage – initially appeared equally cursed. The team lost the first two matches under his aegis to leave them bottom of the table at the beginning of December.
But a burst of three successive victories renewed hope and took them out of danger just before the break for Christmas and New Year. Defeats to Le Havre and Rennes sent them back into the drop zone again for a couple of weeks.
Since February, however, it has been a glistening rise. They have taken 37 out of a possible 45 to climb into sixth place.
"Even though it started badly we've gone through something good," said Sage just after his side finished its Ligue 1 campaign with a place in next season's Europa League.
"We'll go into the Coupe de France final with a view to win it because a trophy is a trophy. A place in a European competition is simply that. When you get the chance to win something, you have to take it."
Lyon has claimed the Coupe de France on five occasions – the last time came in 2012 when they beat third tier US Quevilly.
Glory
The final will be an altogether different experience, says Enrique.
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
Mbappé's strike takes PSG into Coupe de France final against Lyon
PSG battle Rennes for right to face Lyon in Coupe de France final
Ramos shines in Mbappé's absence as PSG romp past Lyon to go 11 points clear
