Olympique Lyonnais cruised into their ninth European quarter-final of the century with a commanding 7-1 aggregate triumph over FCSB, capping off the tie with a dominant 4-0 victory in France.
Eager to put the contest to rest early, the hosts tested Lukas Zima with an early effort, as the FCSB shot-stopper reacted swiftly to deny Ernest Nuamah’s curling attempt following a sublime pass from Rayan Cherki.
Lyon didn’t have to wait long for their breakthrough. A turnover in midfield gifted Georges Mikautadze possession inside the box, and with a few deft stepovers, he weaved past three defenders before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
The 1986 European champions sought an immediate reply, coming close when Malcom Edjouma forced a save, but that proved to be one of their few meaningful opportunities as Lyon dominated proceedings.
Nuamah squandered two quick chances, first striking the post before somehow steering the rebound wide of an open net in what could be considered one of the season’s biggest misses.
However, he quickly redeemed himself by sweeping home from close range to double the lead for Paulo Fonseca’s side.
For Fonseca, the occasion was undoubtedly special, given that he is currently serving a nine-month domestic touchline ban for confronting a referee. His team, however, showed no signs of missing his presence on the sidelines.
Lyon could have extended their advantage before the interval, but Zima denied Nuamah again, and Cherki’s long-range thunderbolt narrowly missed the top corner.
Cherki continued to dictate play after the restart, turning provider once more as he surged into the area before setting up Mikautadze, who finished clinically across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner.
Even in his final involvement of the game, the French playmaker continued to torment FCSB, embarking on another dazzling run before feeding Mikautadze again, though this time the striker dragged his effort wide.
By this stage, Lyon were merely enjoying their dominance, cruising to their sixth victory in eight matches since Fonseca’s appointment in late January. Mikautadze came close to securing his first club hat-trick since November 2022, but his final effort went begging.
FCSB, despite losing only twice in their last 11 outings, were given a harsh lesson in the gap between themselves and Lyon’s pedigree.
The French side hammered home their superiority in the dying minutes, as Nuamah rounded off his brace by volleying in Mikautadze’s cross in the 88th minute, sealing an emphatic win.
