Boudebouz belter sends St Etienne into French Cup final

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:16 am

St Etienne players celebrate after scoring a goal against Rennes in the Coupe de France.
St Etienne players celebrate after scoring a goal against Rennes in the Coupe de France.
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St Etienne reached the French Cup final with a dramatic 2-1 win over Stade Rennais on Thursday thanks to a stoppage-time strike from midfielder Ryad Boudebouz.

The home side had fallen behind after M'Baye Niang converted a penalty in the 33rd minute but Timothee Kolodziejczak drew Saint-Etienne level shortly before halftime with a header.

The match looked set for extra-time but Algeria international Boudebouz sparked wild scenes among the home fans with a thumping drive into the far bottom corner in the fourth minute of added time.

Claude Puel's side will face Paris Saint-Germain in the final after the Ligue 1 leaders trounced Lyon 5-1 on Wednesday in the other semifinal.