The 2012-13 campaign delivered a transitional but ultimately triumphant season for Lyon as Les Gones secured a crucial 3rd-place finish in Ligue 1 and won the Trophée des Champions against Montpellier. Under manager Rémi Garde, the team, increasingly reliant on academy products like Samuel Umtiti and Clément Grenier, dramatically finished the first half of the season as 'fall champions'. Leading the charge was the powerful forward Bafétimbi Gomis, whose 16 league goals, including a memorable hat-trick in a 4-1 demolition of rivals Marseille, proved decisive in clinching a coveted Champions League preliminary spot. It was a pivotal year that marked the successful emergence of a new, homegrown generation and provided great hope for the club's future.