Lens Turn 1-0 Deficit Into 3-1 Ligue 1 Win at Troyes

Lens recover after own goal

Lens beat Estac Troyes 3-1 at Stade de l'Aube to take all three points in Ligue 1. The visitors led 2-1 at half-time after recovering from a level scoreline.

The opener arrived in the 13th minute when Adrien Monfray scored an own goal for Lens, making it 0-1. Timothee Nkada restored parity for Estac Troyes in the 26th minute, with the score at 1-1. Odsonne Édouard put Lens back in front in the 45th minute, assisted by Florian Thauvin, for a 1-2 scoreline. Ruben Aguilar supplied the final goal in the 55th minute, again assisted by Thauvin, to make it 1-3.

Lens had more of the ball, Troyes tested the goalkeeper

Lens held 59% possession and completed 451 accurate passes from 540 total, compared with Estac Troyes’ 306 accurate passes from 372. Their advantage in attempts was narrow, with Lens recording 13 shots to Troyes’ 12. Troyes had five shots on goal to Lens’ three, while Lens goalkeeper R. Risser made four saves.

Result reshapes the table

The result leaves Lens seventh with 10 points from seven games, six points ahead of Estac Troyes, who are 17th with four points from seven games. Paris Saint Germain lead with 14 points. The pre-match form listed Troyes’ latest sequence as Draw, Win, Loss, Loss, Loss, Loss, Loss, while Lens’ was Win, Loss, Loss, Draw, Loss, Win, Win.

Thauvin was the standout performer, receiving an 8.6 rating after two assists and six key passes in 67 minutes. Four yellow cards were shown, including two to each team; there were no red cards.