Who stopped Lens? The Blood and Gold pocketed their fourth consecutive victory against Strasbourg (2-1) on Friday during the 30th day of Ligue 1, and temporarily return to three units from Paris SG, a fragile and threatened leader. With this success, Lens has 63 points against 66 for the Parisian leader, who remains on two consecutive defeats before moving on Saturday (9:00 p.m.) to Nice.
This success is also an excellent operation in the race for the podium against Marseille (3rd, 60 pts) and Monaco (4th, 57 pts), who travel respectively to Lorient and Nantes on Sunday. The icing on the cake: on the next day, Lens will move…to the Parc des Princes. A match that could smell of sulfur, especially since the Lensois have already found the key against Paris this season, on January 1 in the first leg (3-1 victory).
Against Strasbourg, the artesian success could have been greater, as the Blood and Gold dominated their evening opponents. After a rough start to the match, Lens unblocked the situation thanks to a great collective action concluded by Przemyslaw Frankowski in the 11th minute. On receiving a bright pass from ex-Strasbourger Adrien Thomasson, he deceived Matz Sels with a straight shot from the right foot, which ended up in the small Strasbourg net.
Initially refused for an offside position, the goal was validated after using video assistance. For the superstitious, the mass was almost said: the goals of the Polish international act as talismans for Lens. Frankowski has, with his achievement of the day, scored nine goals since his arrival in Artois in 2021, for eight wins and a draw.
Lens had several chances to worsen the score in the first period, but Strasbourg was saved by Matz Sels, decisive against Adrien Thomasson (18th) and Angelo Fulgini (23rd), both perfectly served by Loïs Openda, then against the Belgian striker himself (43rd). The Lensoise charge continued after returning from the locker room, but Matz Sels again intervened on two strikes from Fulgini (53rd, 63rd). On the other side of the field, Strasbourg lacked sharpness on its rare occasions, and did not really worry Brice Samba for a long time.
Lens ended up breaking in the 65th minute thanks to Facundo Medina, with a low shot that hit the post before returning. In an apathetic end to the game, and while the Lensois supporters had just intoned Les corons a capella, Strasbourg reduced the mark with a solitary blow, an ideally curled strike from Kévin Gameiro that Brice Samba did not did not even try to pick up (85th).
This goal woke up the Alsatians, but they couldn’t find the fault a second time. They even finished at 10 after the expulsion for a second yellow of Habib Diallo (90th 4), for protest after an action where he claimed a penalty. Strasbourg continues with this defeat its long Way of the Cross. The RCSA, 16th with 26 points, has no margin on the first relegation, Auxerre (17th, 26 pts), which moves Sunday to Ajaccio (19th, 21 pts). At the end of the weekend, the Alsatians may well have returned to the relegation zone.
