2023-12-16 22:22:58
At the end of a match without control, Lens obtained a happy success (2-0) on Saturday during the 16th day of Ligue 1 which allows it to keep pace at the top of the ranking.
This victory brings the Racing Club de Lens to fifth place – pending Sunday’s matches – with 26 points, three more than the Rémois, who remain eighth.
But this success is a bit miraculous. The Sang et Or showed practically nothing at Stade Bollaert, scoring two goals in as many shots on target.
A quarter of an hour from the end of the match, the Artois players still owed their only real opportunity, converted into a goal, to a blunder by the Reims defense. Central defender Joseph Okumu headed the ball to the edge of his own area while his goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf came out to catch it. Result: Wesley Saïd only had to push him to the bottom of the abandoned cages. Like an early gift, the Christmas spirit obliges.
Franck Haise’s players then doubled the score thanks to a victorious header from substitute Oscar Cortes on a cross from Ruben Aguilar, during their only constructed action of the game (75th).
Many absent in Lens
For the rest, the Artesian club only suffered, without being completely assailed by the Stade de Reims, too often destabilized when the match scenario is not to its advantage this season.
This lackluster score for the Artesian club can be explained firstly by the number of starters absent at kick-off: Florian Sotoca and Facundo Medina were suspended while Jonathan Gradit, Deiver Machado and Nampalys Mendy are in the infirmary. Even scorer Elye Wahi was absent from the scoresheet due to illness.
Amputated by numerous executives and perhaps short of energy four days following their victory once morest Sevilla FC (2-1) synonymous with qualification for the play-offs for the round of 16 of the Europa League, the club from the mining basin however, fulfilled its evening objective: to win to stay in contact with the best clubs in the championship one day before the winter break.
The Lensois also extended their fine series of invincibility in Ligue 1 to eleven matches. Conversely, Reims is sinking into a negative spiral by conceding its fourth defeat in its last five meetings, following an exciting start to the season.
Protest of the ultras
This match only really started following a quarter of an hour of play, on the pitch and in the stands. At the initiative of the Red Tigers, a collective of Lens supporters, the ultras decided not to host the first fifteen minutes to protest once morest the stadium ban pronounced by the Professional Football League once morest the North Devils group for its use of pyrotechnic devices during the trip to Clermont (3-0).
The Lensois players seemed to follow the movement, as dull as the bays of the Marek stand. It was therefore Reims who controlled the game and created chances, firstly through Keito Nakamura, whose shot was deflected for a corner by Brice Samba (15th).
The Lens captain and neo-international was very happy to see Emmanuel Agbadou’s attempted header hit his right post in the process.
Will Still’s players did not loosen their grip until opening the scoring through Mohamed Daramy at the conclusion of a nice counter-attack, before the goal was refused for a short offside position (18th) .
Another attack in transition almost hit the mark when Brice Samba got confused, still in front of Mohamed Daramy (41st). Without consequence.
The second period started in the same way, Stade de Reims creating new opportunities through Yunis Abdelhamid with a header (52nd) or Junya Ito (16th, 58th).
Until the final blow from Oscar Cortes, which concluded a dull match but an essential victory.
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