Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of French football where Lyon take on Reims at the Stade de Gerland.

We turn our attention away from the Ligue 1 campaign this week, as the Coupe de la Ligue takes centre stage. We're into the quarter-finals of the competition, where the stakes are raised and the chances of silverware get real.

The first of the quarter-finals ties was played last night, where Nantes edged out Ligue 2's Auxerre by a single goal to advance. We have more games later on tonight, including live commentary of Paris Saint-Germain vs. Saint-Etienne, which you can catch with me on Sports Mole from 7.25pm.

However, first up we have Lyon vs. Reims in what should prove to be a very tough contest. Les Gones haven't had the best of seasons and play their first match in the competition this afternoon. They sit 10th in Ligue 1 but have advanced to the final 32 of the Europa League. Meanwhile, Reims are two points above Lyon in the league, and managed to eliminate AS Monaco in the last round of the tournament.

Before we get into any more detail, let's take a look at the teams. Starting with hosts.

LYON XI: Lopes, Bedimo, Kone, Umtiti, Zeffane, Fofana, Gonalons, Gourcuff, Grenier, Gomis, Lacazette

Remi Garde names a strong team for the match, which includes three changes following their 2-2 draw with Marseille on Sunday.

Remy Vercoutre, Milan Bisevac and Miguel Lopes all drop out of the squad for the clash, while Anthony Lopes, Bakary Kone and Mehdi Zeffane all come into the team.

In-form strike duo Alexandre Lacazette and Bafetimbi Gomis lead the line for Les Gones, with the creative talents of Clement Grenier and Yoann Gourcuff pulling the strings in midfield.

And here is what Garde has in reserve.

LYON BENCH: Gorgelin, Sarr, Danic, Ferri, Malbranque, Benzia, Njie

So that's what Lyon have to offer, time to take a look at the visitors.

REIMS XI: Placide, Conte, Fofana, Glombard, Turan, Weber, Albaek, Devaux, Oniangue, Ayite, De Preville

Hubert Fournier has made five changes to the team that drew 1-1 at Evian TG at the weekend.

Kossi Agassa, Aissa Mandi, Franck Signorino, Gaetan Charbonnier and Odair Fortes all drop out of the starting lineup, having played from the off last time out. Johny Placide, Christopher Glombard, Antoine Conte, Prince Oniangue and Floyd Ayite all start tonight.

And here are the substitutes that Fournier can call upon.

REIMS BENCH: Agassa, Mandi, Atar, Ghisolfi, Peuget, Charbonnier, Fortes

Those are your squads for this cup clash.

Both these sides have won this competition once in the past. Lyon won it back in 2001, but have ended up losers in the final on three occasions; the most recent coming in 2012. Reims have made the last two just a single time, but emerged victorious on that day in 1991.

We're just under five minutes away from kick off at the Stade de Gerland.

We're ready for kick off.

KICK OFF! Reims, playing from right to left, get the match underway.

Lyon are sporting their home kit of all white with red and blue trim, while Reims are donning their away strip of all black, with grey trim.

Reims have made a good start to this match and are trying to take the game to the hosts early on. Ayite races down the right on the area and forces Lopes to come and out, slide in and concede a corner.

The corner is swung in from the right, but Lopes confidently comes and collects it.

Lovely spell of passing possession for Lyon, but it ends with Placide collecting a Bedimo cross.

These two sides have already met once this term, when Reims came here and snatched a 1-0 win on matchday three of Ligue 1.

Lyon are starting to take control now after Reims rapid start. No real chances yet though.

OFF THE POST! Lyon should be ahead. Grenier's initial corner is flashed through everyone from the right and ends up with Bedimo on the left. He goes to the byline and cuts a low cross in front of goal, but Lacazette cannot get his footing right and the ball comes off the back of him from three yards out. The ball carries on a falls to Grenier at the far post, but his side-foot shot comes off the near post. Two sitters there really.

Lyon are really dominating now and look a lot more confident than they have done in recent weeks.

MISS! Another fluffed chance from Lyon. The ball is delivered from the left again in towards the edge of the six-yard box. The ball would be perfect for Grenier at the back but, despite being ahead of the ball, Gomis takes the shot but cannot get it cleanly away.

Now Gourcuff curls a cross from the left of the box which is heading teasingly towards the far post. Lacazette tries to make contact with it on the stretch, but it's just too far ahead of him.

Apart from Reims being quick out of the box to start, it's been all Lyon in this tie. Reims haven't had a shot on goal yet I don't think.

CHANCE! Lyon are again getting into some great positions in lots of space inside the box, but they just cannot seem to pull the trigger. Lacazette and Gonalons both have room in the area but fail to get a shot away, before the ball ends up on the right with Grenier, whose cross/shot flashes just wide of the far post.

Despite the fact that Lyon should be ahead, you have to credit Reims for their defensive work. They are looking fairly solid at the moment.

Reims have a free kick on the right as De Preville is hacked down by Bedimo.

Albaek floats the free kick into the box from the right touchline, by Lopes can rise above the crowd like Superman to punch the ball away.

CHANCE! It's a difficult one for the centre-back Bakary Kone, who tries an acrobatic overhead kick from a Gourcuff corner, but it sails over the bar.

YELLOW CARD Mads Albaek is the first man to go into the book for a poor tackle on Bedimo.

Reims are starting to have one or two attacks now, and it would be a real kick in the teeth for Lyon if they went ahead after the host's dominant opening.

CLOSE! It's Lyon on the attack again, and the in-form Lacazette who just misses the target. The striker comes inside from the left and twists and turns his way through three defenders into the box before firing just a fraction too high and wide.

Gourcuff wins a free kick in a good position after being chopped down. It's 25 yards, slightly left of centre. Grenier is keen to take.

CLOSE! Grenier gets his wish and takes it. The height is perfect, but he puts too much bend on it and it curls wide of the near post.

Garde, while he appears calm, must be getting frustrated by the fact that Lyon have not yet managed to find an opener despite all their chances.

Conte hacks down Lacazette late and from behind. Good position for a Lyon free kick. 30 yards out, but dead central.

CLOSE! I'm surprised it's not a corner because I'm sure that Placide got a vital fingertip to this shot. Gourcuff's curls the ball towards the top left corner with real power, but it's just a fraction too high. Goal kick given.

Just a minute to go until the break; can either side snatch one before then?

Somehow it's goalless at break, even though Lyon have been in complete control.

Grenier, Lacazette and Gomis have all had brilliant chances, but none of them have been taken.

Reims made the better start and took the game to Lyon in the opening five minutes, but that's all they have really offered.

The teams are back on on the pitch at the Stade de Gerland.

KICK OFF! Lyon, playing to the left, get the second half up and running.

A reminder that this match has to be sorted tonight, so extra time and penalties will be used if necessary.

YELLOW CARD Oniangue leaves Bedimo in a heap by catching him late and receives a booking for his troubles.

Lyon are seemingly carrying on from where they left off in the this second half, and are camping inside the Reims area.

Reims have numbers in attack and in space around the edge of the box, but they can't take their chances. De Preville smacks one over the bar in the end, but it was never troubling Lopes.

Lyon are starting to get a bit sloppy in the final third. They're just attempting one pass too many when they need someone to put a foot through it.

Lyon appeals for a penalty as Fofana wins the ball on the edge of the box and goes down under the challenge from Ayite. It's a close one to call, but the referee opts to let play continue.

Finally Lyon take the lead, and it's Gomis' fourth goal in as many matches. Lacazette turns away from his marker in the corner on the right, before his deflected cross is lifted high into area and towards the far post, where Gomis is unmarked to nod home.

YELLOW CARD Mandi is the latest Reims player to enter the notebook. They're a growing group.

Here come the goals, and Lacazette is also now four in four. Gourcuff brilliantly holds up the ball on the left of the area before flicking a pass back to Lacazette. He takes a touch inside before opening up his body and drilling an effort into the bottom far corner.

It's what Lyon's play has warranted with this scoreline. It's just funny how they have come in such quick succession. Reims have to commit now.

Reims are starting to get forward now, and have a corner on the left. It comes to nothing though.

Game on! Reims get one back almost immediately. Devaux shows brilliant awareness inside a crowded box to lob a little cross just inside, where Oniangue rifles it home on the volley.

Reims have really got their tails up now and are having a go at Lyon, who are looking a bit panicky at the moment.

Gourcuff has a go at goal from range on the left, but his effort takes a wicked deflection and bounces not far wide of the back post.

YELLOW CARD Zeffane is shown a card by the referee for a spate of shirt pulling.

LYON CHANGE Clement Grenier comes off, and has been very involved tonight. Steed Malbranque enters the fray.

Is game is finely poised at the moment. Lyon are on the attack and looking for a third goal that would surely kill the game off, but Reims are there lurking to hit them on the break.

That surely must finish it, and it's a wonderful goal from Gourcuff. Lacazette lays it off to him in the centre, 30 yards from goal and Gourcuff whacks a swerving shot that flashes past Placide and into the top corner. Game over.

Surely Lyon can't let this lead slip away now. Can they? They did against Marseille at the weekend.

LYON CHANGE Lacazette, scorer of the second goal, makes way for Yassine Benzia.

Lyon really want to go about progressing the hard way. Mandi has the ball on the right of the area, and Umtiti dives into the tackle and brings him down. Definite penalty.

Cooly taken by Ayite, who staggers his run, before planting it in the bottom right corner. Lopes then tries to hold onto the ball and causes a bit of a scene.

SAVE! That could have been 3-3! Charbonnier is played by a brilliant pass into the box, and prepares to lob Lopes. But the goalkeeper is quickly off his line to bravely jump in and make the stop.

Reims dominating the closing stages, and have a corner from the right now.

The corner is swept into the near post, where De Preville tries to hook the ball over his head and on target. But it goes just over. Was a tricky chance that.

Two minutes of added time for Lyon to hang on.

Well what a nervy finish that was at the Stade de Gerland. It was close, but Lyon have just edged through into the last eight.

Having been goalless at the break, Gomis and Lacazette put Lyon into a comfortable lead. Oniangue immediately got one back or Reims, but Gourcuff's screamer looked to have settled the match. However, Ayite netted a late penalty to increase the nerves in the Lyon camp, and Lopes was forced into making a fine save to deny the game becoming 3-3.

But in the end, it's Lyon who join Nantes in the quarter-finals.

Well that's it from me for now, but I'll be back on Sports Mole at 7.25 for Paris Saint-Germain vs. Saint-Etienne. Don't miss it.