Rémi Himbert the bright spot for OL despite Coupe de France exit | OneFootball

Rémi Himbert, 18, was Lyon’s bright spot in their Coupe de France quarter-final defeat to Lens, coming off the bench to create one and score another in a 2-2 draw before a 5-4 penalty shootout loss.

Introduced just before the hour in an unfamiliar left wing-back role, his first effort flew wide on 60. He then delivered a fine cross for Roman Iaremtchouk to head in, before levelling in added time with a precise finish. L'Équipe highlights that his arrival shifted the momentum.

Paulo Fonseca praised the teenager’s impact, noting he is not a natural left-sided player and that Lyon have few attacking options. The staff believe strongly in Himbert and view him as part of the club’s future. Injuries to Fofana, Nuamah, Moreira and Sulc have stretched resources.

Having entered at 0-2, his focus was to give everything to chase the game. He felt he did so by assisting and scoring, while emphasising the squad’s collective effort until the end. The shootout felt cruel and should be used as experience for the Europa League.

With the frontline depleted, he could be a go-to option against Paris FC on Sunday in Ligue 1 at 20:45. He has already become OL’s youngest French scorer in Europe, ahead of Karim Benzema and Bernard Lacombe, netting on his first start against PAOK Salonique in a 4-2 win. He wants to stay with the seniors and knows he must keep scoring.

Source: L'Équipe