RC Lens hosted Toulouse this Sunday as part of the 16th day of Ligue 1. The Sang et Or, reduced to 10 at the hour of play, lost 1-0 at the end of an often tense match during in which refereeing and VAR played a role. Hot throwback to this meeting.
RC Lens-Toulouse : 0-1 (0-0)
Sunday January 5, 2025 – 3 p.m. – 16th day of Ligue 1
Stade Bollaert-Delelis – 37,461 spectators
Referee: Hakim Ben El Hadj
The match sheet:
RC Lens : Koffi – Frankowski, Danso, Sarr, Machado (Chavez, 75′) (Diliwidi, 88′) – Thomasson, Diouf – Sotoca (cap.) (Capuano, 81′), Fulgini (Ojediran, 81′), Zaroury (Pereira Da Costa, 46′) – Nzola.
Substitutes: Petric (g.), Gradit, Mendy, Pouilly.
Coach : W. Still.
Toulouse : Restes – Sidibé, Cresswell, McKenzie – Dönnum, Casseres, Canvot (Kamanzi, 86′), Suazo (cap.) – Aboukhlal (Babicka, 75′), King (Magri, 75′), Gboho (Genreau, 84′).
Substitutes: Dominguez (g.), Akdag, Zajc, Edjouma, Messali.
Coach : M. Novell.
But : Aboukhlal (73′ sp) pour Toulouse.
Warnings: Frankowski (9′), Danso (32′), Fulgini (64′), Koffi (77′), Ojediran (92′) at Lens; Cressewell (10′), GBoho (77′) in Toulouse.
Expulsions : Pereira Da Costa (61′), Lannoy (staff, 90′) in Lens
The match:
Getting off to a good start and forgetting the turbulence of the transfer window with the Samba issue at the forefront was the mission of RC Lens this Sunday at Bollaert against Toulouse. Unfortunately for the Artésiens, the day did not go at all as they hoped… If the Sang et Or were the first to prove dangerous with this missed recovery from Nzola on a beautiful cross from Zaroury (6′) or this beautiful intervention by Restes in the feet of the same Nzola in the area on a good ball from Thomasson (13′), the Toulouse almost opened the score from the 18th minute. After having won with great authority a face-to-face against Aboukhlal who was offside anyway (17′), Hervé Koffi repelled a minute later a recovery in the open area from King (18′). Failing to be able to ignite on a goal, Bollaert ignites on the reassuring saves of Brice Samba’s understudy and chants his name.
On the other side of the field, RC Lens tries, but remains too sluggish to make Restes bend, who still has to lie down quickly to repel a good ground-level strike from Frankowski (22′) for a corner, before see a curled shot from Nzola go wide (43′). In the meantime, it took a solid and vigilant Sarr to counter a point-blank strike from Aboukhlal (40′). Everything remains to be done at the break.
A second period at 10
The match resumes with a change in the Lens team, Pereira Da Costa taking over from Zaroury. Will Still’s players then try to put pressure on, keeping the ball away from Koffi’s goal for a quarter of an hour, but apart from dangerous crosses and a few hot balls into the area, Remains still has to do little. The match then took a really bad turn for Lens, when Pereira Da Costa, who was celebrating his 24th birthday this Sunday, was sent off after video intervention for having put his crampons on Sidibé’s calf (61′).
Now in numerical superiority, the Toulouse residents take control of the ball. It is on an action that seems innocuous that Lens will crack. After a duel in the area in which he did not see a foul from Sarr on Aboukhlal, referee Hakim ben el Hadj was called by the VAR. For the second time, it will lead him to sanction the Sang et Or. The penalty is whistled and the Toulouse player does not miss the opportunity to open the score (0-1, 73′). 5 minutes later, Koffi avoided the break by repelling a point-blank rebound from Gboho. Will Still then throws all the last forces into the battle, including the first professional entry of the young 18-year-old striker Gabin Capuano (81′). A few minutes later, it was Kembo Diliwidi who imitated him (88′), but to take over from Chavez who was stretchered off, apparently injured in the ankle. While on the side of the spans. The end of the match is stormy, there is also annoyance on the bench and Vincent Lannoy ends up having to return to the locker room. The end of a bad afternoon for the Sang et Or who will end the weekend 3 points behind 6th place, synonymous with Europe. A defeat which darkens the climate in Lens while a victory would have made it possible to forget the uncertainties born from a turbulent start to the transfer window… We will have to get over it next weekend in Le Havre. The only positive lesson, with Koffi, Lens is not without a good goalkeeper.
Facts to remember:
6′: Nice outside left foot from Zaroury who looks for Nzola in the area, the attacker arrives launched but fails to recover.
13′: Good dive ball from Thomasson in the area for Nzola but the attacker does not have time to turn around as Restes is already there to intervene at his feet.
17′: Superb intervention from Koffi who wins his face to face with Aboukhlal who went full axis! The latter, however, was slightly offside.
18′: Koffi relaxes perfectly to push back a rebound from King in the open area for a corner.
22′: Good shot at ground level from Frankowski, full axis. Remains lays down well to deflect for a corner.
40′: Nice burst from Sarr to counter a point-blank shot from Aboukhlal.
43′: Nzola’s curling shot from the edge of the area misses Remains’ goals.
61′: RED CARD AGAINST LENS: First warned for putting his crampons on Sidibé’s calf, Pereira Da Costa is sent off after viewing the video by the referee.
74′: GOAL FOR TOULOUSE: Sarr pushes Aboukhlal during a duel on the side of the area. The referee does not whistle anything but is called by the VAR and awards a penalty which the Toulouse player transforms. 0-1
79′: Koffi repels a point-blank recovery from Gboho.
85′: A Toulouse recovery at the first post fails on the upright. Koffi, however, seemed on the spot if it had been a few centimeters better framed.
98′: Remains quickly comes out on Diliwidi at the entrance to the area.
The program for the 16th day of Ligue 1
Already played:
Monaco-Paris Saint-Germain: 2-4
Nice-Rennes: 3-2
Saint-Étienne-Reims: 3-1
Lille-Nantes: 1-1
Lyon-Montpellier : 1-0
RC Lens-Toulouse : 0-1
Angers-Brest
Strasbourg-Auxerre
Sunday January 5, 2025 at 8:45 p.m. on DAZN:
Marseille-Le Havre
