Coupe De France had its semi-final draw at Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, held one hour before the Lyon–Lens quarter-final that was scheduled for 21: 10. The draw produced two pairings: the winner of Lyon–Lens will host Toulouse, and Strasbourg will receive Nice.
What happens next in the Coupe De France semi-finals?
The draw was conducted with Loïc Rémy drawing first the ball corresponding to the winner of the Lyon–Lens tie. Key outcomes from the rounds that produced these ties are:
- Toulouse advanced after eliminating Marseille on penalties following a 2-2 draw at the Stade-Vélodrome (4-3 on t. a. b. ).
- Strasbourg secured the first semi-final spot by beating Reims 2-1; Reims entered from Ligue 2.
- Nice reached the last four after defeating Lorient on penalties following a 0-0 draw (5-6 on t. a. b. ).
- The semi-finals are both scheduled for 22 April, with the final set for 23 May.
What if Lyon or Lens win and host Toulouse?
The quarter between Olympique Lyonnais and Racing Club de Lens, played at 21: 10 on the night of the draw, will determine who faces Toulouse at home in the semi-finals. Olympique Lyonnais and Racing Club de Lens were described as performing strongly in the domestic league, listed respectively second and third in Ligue 1, and the eventual winner of that match was identified as a natural contender for the title in the competition, notably in the absence of Paris Saint-Germain from the later stages after an earlier elimination in the round of 32.
Marseille, a side noted as seeking a long-awaited trophy, was eliminated by Toulouse in the quarter round on penalties, removing another heavyweight contender and shaping expectations for the remaining bracket.
What does Nice vs Strasbourg mean for both clubs?
Strasbourg, a club with three historical Coupe de France titles (1951, 1966 and 2001), were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals this week after their victory over Reims. Strasbourg sit eighth in Ligue 1 and will host OGC Nice at the Stade de la Meinau.
OGC Nice reached the semi-finals after successive wins over Saint-Étienne (L2), Nantes, Montpellier (L2) and Lorient, and had previously drawn 1-1 with Strasbourg earlier in the season during the first match overseen by Claude Puel on the Nice bench. Nice had not reached this stage since their run to the final in 2022, where they were defeated by Nantes. The scheduling of the semi-finals places this tie between two away league fixtures for Nice, with trips to Lille and then Marseille forming the surrounding calendar for the club.
The remaining tableau is therefore a 100% top-flight line-up in the last four, with no Ligue 2 sides left after Reims’ exit. With both semi-finals fixed for 22 April and the final on 23 May, clubs and supporters now have a clear path to the concluding stages of this edition of the Coupe De France
