Lens wins in Lorient and takes a big step towards the Champions League

Lens wins in Lorient. STEPHANE MAHE / REUTERS

Thanks to their victory in Lorient (1-3), RC Lens now have a five-point lead over OM, two games remaining. At the same time, Franck Haise’s players have also returned to 3 points from PSG, which is playing this Sunday evening in Auxerre.

Lens has character and a strong ability to react. As against Reims last week, the Sang et Or conceded the opener (6th) before reversing the trend. It was Romain Faivre who took advantage of a misunderstanding and a badly measured touch from Medina towards Samba to take the lead and put the Hakes on the right track.

It took a bad start to the match before Sotoca equalized (20th), on a deflected shot by Talbi and Thomon doubled the lead (25th), after a fatal ball loss from Gedeon Kalulu in his area.

The turning point

It all probably happened in the last 10 minutes of the game. Just after the orange smoke bombs, Lorient supporters prevented any visibility, forcing Stéphanie Frappart to stop the match for a few seconds. The game resumed on a corner in favor of the Merlus, deposited on the head of Ibrahima Koné. Brice Samba stopped the striker’s attempt on his knee line. A happy parade that saved Lens from an equalizer.

A few seconds later, on a counter launched by Angelo Fulgini, Seko Fofana hastened to plant the third Lensois goal with an unacademic sharp point.

This victory will perhaps remain the one that ensured a direct qualifying place in the Champions League for the northern club. It would take two Lensois defeats against Ajaccio and Auxerre and two Marseille victories at the same time to witness a reversal of the situation. 2nd place was most certainly decided this weekendbetween the defeat of OM in Lille and the victory of the Sang et Or at Moustoir.