Lyon's Juninho Pernambucano scored the only goal of the game against Sedan at the Gerland Stadium on Wednesday to set up a French Cup final against Paris Saint Germain at the Stade de France later this month.
Juninho found the net two minutes before time to keep the league leaders on course for a first-ever league and cup double should they beat Bordeaux to the league title then have a victory over PSG on May 24.
Lyon last won the French Cup way back in 1973.
PSG had beaten second-division Amiens by the same score in the other semi-final on Tuesday.
Lyon managed to win with a workmanlike, rather than an elegant, performance though they left it late when Juninho, who had replaced Kim Kallstrom after 70 minutes, scored from a long-range free-kick after a foul by Albert Baning.
Organized Sedan had chances through Alexis Allard in the first half, but both his shot and header were stopped by Lyon keeper Gregory Coupet, and he had another chance well into the second half.
Lyon had most of the goal opportunities however, through Mathieu Bodmer, Kader Keita, Fabio Grosso and Hatem Ben Arfa, though Sedan keeper Patrick Regnault held firm.
Juninho’s late goal meant Lyon qualified for their second final in two years after losing to Bordeaux 1-0 in the League Cup final.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.