Dream Debut: Endrick Fires Lyon into the Coupe de France Last 16

Lyon booked their place in the last 16 of the Coupe de France after a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Lille, with all the headlines stolen by their sensational new signing. Just 19 years old, Brazilian wonderkid Endrick, on loan from Real Madrid, marked his debut in French football with a decisive and ice-cold winning goal.
The match began at a high tempo, and it was Lyon who struck first. Afonso Moreira opened the scoring early on, giving the visitors confidence and control. Lille responded with resilience, however, as Nathan Ngoy restored parity and brought the home crowd back into the contest.
Just before the break, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. Endrick showcased his composure and natural goalscoring instinct, guiding a precise shot into the corner to reclaim the lead for Lyon.
The closing stages were played almost entirely under pressure, with Lille throwing everything forward in search of an equaliser. Their best chance came in the 88th minute, when Tiago Santos struck the post, a moment that summed up the fine margins of knockout football.
The spotlight of European football once again shone brightly on Milan, where Inter and Napoli played out a thrilling 2–2 draw in one of the standout fixtures of the round. From the opening minutes, the game delivered drama, intensity and elite-level quality — exactly what fans expect from a clash of Serie A heavyweights.
Federico Dimarco wasted no time in igniting the contest, firing Inter into an early lead in the ninth minute and sending the San Siro into raptures. But Napoli responded with character. Before half-time, Scott McTominay found the equaliser, underlining his growing influence and importance in the heart of midfield.
The second half brought even more tension. A penalty awarded to Inter after a foul on Henrikh Mkhitaryan sparked chaos on the touchline, with Antonio Conte losing his temper and being sent off by the referee. Amid the turmoil, Hakan Çalhanoğlu kept his composure, confidently converting from the spot to restore the hosts’ advantage.
Yet this was McTominay’s night. The former Manchester United midfielder struck again, completing his brace and dragging Napoli back into the contest with an unstoppable display of power and timing. In stoppage time, Inter came agonisingly close to snatching all three points, but Mkhitaryan rattled the post, denying Cristian Chivu’s side a dramatic late winner.
2025-26, Coupe de France
Lille - Lyon 1:2 (1:2)
Goals: Moreira, 1 (0:1); Ngoy N., 28 (1:1); Endrick, 42 (1:2)
Lille: Bodart; Meunier (Santos T., 68); Ngoy N.; Perraud; Bouaddi (Sahraoui, 82); Bentaleb; Andre B. (Mukau, 60); Haraldsson; Correia (Mbappé E., 59); Fernandez Pardo; Giroud (Diaoune, 81)
Substitution: Mbappé E. (from 59); Mukau (from 60); Santos T. (from 68); Diaoune (from 81); Sahraoui (from 82)
Bench: Özer; Mbemba; Goffi; Broholm
Yellow Cards: Haraldsson 37; Perraud 63
Lyon: Descamps R.; Tagliafico; Kluivert R.; Mata C.; Morton T. (Mangala O., 82); Maitland-Niles; Tessmann; Tolisso; Šulc P. (Satriano, 82); Moreira; Endrick (Karabec, 72)
Substitution: Karabec (from 72); Mangala O. (from 82); Satriano (from 82)
Bench: Greif; Hateboer; de Carvalho; Merah; Ghezzal R.
Yellow Cards: Šulc P. 31; Morton T. 32; Descamps R. 91
