Lens overthrows Nantes in a crazy match

Trailing five minutes from time, Lens completely cracked Nantes (3-2), who thought they had made the perfect move on Saturday evening at the Stade Bollaert during the eleventh day of Ligue 1. It was an evening on the wire where the piece was slow to choose which side it would fall on. Przemyslaw Frankowski opened the hostilities (21st) before Nantes and its compact bloc turned the tide thanks to Moses Simon (36th) then Nicolas Cozza (71st). But Lens, who remained on two defeats in a row, played with their heart, equalizing thanks to Hamzat Ojediran (86th) then taking a definitive advantage with a goal from Adrien Thomasson (90th) to get back on track in the race to Europe.

Le Sang et Or temporarily move up to fifth position (17 points) while Nantes are 14th (ten points), before the international break in November.

This evening in the cool of the artesian autumn was initially a story of penalties. Ten minutes after the match was interrupted following dozens of tennis balls being thrown onto the field by Lens supporters to denounce the management of the Professional Football League (LFP), Frankowski crossed his attempt perfectly in front of Alban Lafont. A relief for the mining basin club, weaned from home goals since the end of August and remodeled due to a host of absentees.

But a short-lived breath of air. Nantes coach Antoine Kombouaré may have lined up a wall in front of Alban Lafont (five-man defense), but the Nantes team projected itself forward. Mostafa Mohamed found the post from the start (3rd), before his accomplice Moses Simon, omnipresent in his left lane, put the Canaries back upright, in the wake of a delayed mow by Facundo Medina on Nicolas Cozza.

The Lensois miracle

This same Cozza, definitely on the right track, found himself in the right place at the right time after a cross from Simon at the edge of the last quarter of an hour to give his club the advantage. Lens, stuck in its offensive woes, frustrated when Andy Diouf fired a shot which hit a post (55th), gave in again.

But Hamzat Ojediran put his people right side up. The Nigerian, alone in the area, equalized before Bollaert exploded with joy thanks to Thomasson. The midfielder smelled the right shot after a poorly delivered header from Nicolas Pallois – despite being up to the mark so far – towards his goalkeeper.

With this unexpected success given the scenario, Will Still's clique has come back to within three points of Olympique de Marseille while in Loire-Atlantique we have been desperately looking for the key to happiness for eight games now (five defeats, three matches null).