Jean Canesse, Media365, published on Friday November 29, 2024 at 10:56 p.m.
At the opening of the 13th day of Ligue 1, Lens dominated Reims at the Raymond-Kopa stadium. A superiority materialized by two goals from Thomasson and Nzola (2-0).
What could be better to relaunch yourself in Ligue 1 than a victory in your old setting? Beaten three times in the last four days, the RCL achieved a significant success on Friday in Champagne, on the former lands of its trainer Will Still. For his first return to Auguste-Delaune since his departure to the North of France this summer, the Artesian technician was surely able to appreciate the performance of his team, in terms of pressing, overall intensity and, more importantly, efficiency in both surfaces.
Much less seduced by the performance of his players against Marseille (1-3), seven days earlier, Still had also decided to make some five changes for the trip to Reims: exit Sotoca, Pereira Da Costa, Ojediran, Machado and Sarr, all substitutes, and welcome back to Labeau-Lascary, Fulgini, Diouf, Zaroury and Khusanov, the latter after two suspension matches. Despite this significant overhaul of the starting eleven, which was accompanied as a bonus by a change of system (from 3-4-2-1 to 4-2-3-1), the Lensois automatisms and playing principles remained for this opening match of the 13th day.
Thomasson's superb sequence
Pressing, intense, daring too, Fulgini's partners stifled the Rémois during the first half hour and it was quite logical that they opened the scoring during this highlight. After a cross from Frankowski returned as best he could by Kipré, Thomasson split him with a beautiful control-half-volley sequence (0-1, 23rd). In total control, and very (too) rarely worried, Luka Elsner's players, Will Still's players were then able to calmly manage, without being on the back foot, and they were able to score the break goal as the hour approached game.
Nzola then tried three times to double the lead, first shooting at Diouf (56th), then missing his shot at close range (60th) but finally deceiving the Champagne goalkeeper after a nice sequence in the surface (0-2, 61st). If Samba certainly had to work twice during this match, in front of Nakamura (41st) and especially in front of Ito in the second half (73rd), Reims never seemed able to change the outcome of this meeting. In the standings, this victory allows the Sang et Or to move to sixth for the moment, two points behind Losc (fourth) traveling to Montpellier on Sunday. After two matches without defeat, the Rémois are currently ninth, two lengths behind their tormentors of the day.