Having come from 2-0 down to beat Toulouse in Ligue 1 just four days earlier, Lens looked determined to start brightly against Carles Martinez Novell’s side.
The hosts wasted no time in stamping their authority on proceedings, and their early pressure was rewarded when Pape Demba Diop clumsily fouled Florian Thauvin in the box, with the Frenchman dusting himself off and converting the spot-kick beyond Kjetil Haug.
Buoyed by the breakthrough, Les Sang et Or doubled their lead in the 18th minute, as Thauvin showed impressive vision to pick out Allan Saint-Maximin, who swept a brilliant finish into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Still licking their wounds after a disastrous opening 20 minutes, Toulouse were gifted a route back into the contest when Samson Baidoo conceded possession in his own box, allowing Santiago Hidalgo to tuck home from close range.
Despite that lapse of concentration, Lens remained the dominant side, and they nearly restored their two-goal cushion as Odsonne Edouard saw a low effort thwarted by Haug.
Not to be denied, the hosts added a third before half-time, with Matthieu Udol finding space inside the six-yard box to tap home from Saud Abdulhamid’s inch-perfect delivery.
Having triumphed in eight of the last 10 competitive H2Hs (D1, L1), Lens showed no signs of easing off at the start of the second period, as Edouard spurned a couple of promising chances for Pierre Sage’s men.
The visitors were unable to create anything of note at the other end, though, and Les Sang et Or put the game beyond doubt in the 74th minute, with Abdulhamid unselfishly squaring for Adrien Thomasson to finish after Thauvin’s initial free-kick was saved by Haug.
Armed with a commanding three-goal lead, Lens cruised through the closing stages at a raucous Stade Bollaert-Delelis, as Mamadou Sangare and Abdallah Sima wasted further opportunities to add gloss to the scoreline.
Nevertheless, it was a historic night for Les Sang et Or, with Sage’s side moving a step closer to winning their first-ever Coupe de France title, as either Strasbourg or Nice lie in wait in the final.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Saud Abdulhamid (Lens)
