Lyon advanced to the semi-finals of the Coupe de France on Tuesday night with a 2-1 win over Grenoble.
Before the quarter-final at the Groupama Stadium, Lyon boss Laurent Blanc bemoaned the absence of senior players including star striker Alexandre Lacazette.
But the replacements rewarded him with a dynamic first-half in which Lyon dominated possession against their second tier opponents.
Academy product Bradley Barcola opened the scoring for the hosts mid way through the first half.
The 20-year-old rose near the penalty spot to head Nicolas Tagliafico’s cross from the left past the Grenoble goalkeeper Esteban Salles.
Seven minutes before half-time, Tagliafico released Jeffinho down the left wing.
The 23-year-old Brazilian powered his way into the Grenoble penalty area and slotted under Salles for his first goal on his first appearance in the starting line-up.
Lopez produced a flying save in the 67th minute to maintain the two-goal advantage but minutes later he was powerless to stop Amine Sbai halving the deficit.
Grenoble pressed for the equaliser in a frenzied finale but Lyon held on to progress to the last four of the competition for the first time since 2020.
“At 2-0 down we had nothing to lose,” Sbai told French TV station France 2.
“We had our chances but we weren’t clinical enough. The goal gave us something to play for but it wasn’t enough.
“We played much better in the second-half.”
Lyon, who were thrown out of the competition in 2022 after their fans rioted during the last-64 clash at Paris FC, are seeking their first Coupe de France trophy since 2012. (RFI)
