Ligue 1 – 28th day – Lens takes place against Angers (3-0) and puts pressure on OM, double for Loïs Openda

Lens are back in second place in the Ligue 1 standings. Admittedly, this is only temporary pending the result of Marseille, who move to Reims at the end of the 28th matchday, so with extra pressure. Still, the Blood and Gold did the job when they received the red lantern.

Facing Angers, certainly out of confidence and out, the Northerners recorded a second success in a row, with a new attacking card combined with a clean sheet to improve the goal average (3-0). Seko Fofana crossed the spark and Loïs Openda, fully recovered, blew up the Anjou defense.

A slow start

RC Lens took 15 minutes to get going and then it rolled off. Slightly harassed by Angevins better back in the game and giving the illusion of possession without weighing offensively, the northern club needed a tactical adjustment to take a breather.

Seeing his team in trouble, Franck Haise didn’t wait until half time to move the lines, and the move to three defenders proved more than beneficial. In this new scheme, the Lensois have found the DNA that allowed them to be irresistible during the first half of the season, between fast forward projections, technical ease and precision in the last gesture.

The switch to three defenders changed everything for Lens

As a symbol, it is Seko Fofana, in the absence of success in 2023, who found the net. The midfielder was not shaken by a sublime opening by Salis Abdul Samed and won his duel against Paul Bernardoni (1-0, 26th). The rest is again from Loïs Openda. Already author of the fastest hat-trick in history six days ago, against Clermont, the Belgian striker transformed the try with a nice double. He first offered Lens the break by splitting a good combination: hook with the right foot to take out his vis-à-vis, then hit from the left to trick Bernardoni (2-0, 30th).

Lens was already in great shape when they came back from the dressing room. And he didn’t even give Angers time to hope for a response. After a sublime outing in a triangle, Openda won again face-to-face with Bernardoni (3-0, 46th). He scored his 14th goal of the season in Ligue 1, which no Lensois had done since Anto Drobjnak during the 1997/98 season.

For Lens, the only fear was this dumpling from Brice Bamba, who got a hole on a clearance. But Jean Bahoya didn’t take advantage and lacked precision in his shot from close range (73rd). I’m not sure a cut in the score would have been enough to revive the SCO in this game as the Lensois seem to have found their football. On the home stretch, at the best time.