Four days after offering victory to his team against Strasbourg on the wire (2-1) from the penalty spot, the top scorer in the championship Kylian Mbappé this time was very discreet, muzzled by the artesian defense.
With the absence of the suspended Neymar and Messi, who is due to return to training in the coming days following his World Cup victory, Mbappé was lined up alongside Ekitike and Spaniard Carlos Soler , placed in support.
Solid Lensoise defense
But Kylian Mbappé could not distinguish himself during a first half marked by the feverishness of the Parisian defense, apart from a sudden strike with the right foot (17th), repelled by an attentive Brice Samba.
The Lensoise defense, very solid, left very little space for the French striker, warmly greeted by the Lensois public during the warm-up.
Like this dangerous tackle from Jonathan Gradit on the Parisian number 7, sanctioned with a yellow card, the artesians did not hesitate to put a lot of intensity in the duels to prevent the Parisian from being dangerous.
In the second period, the native of Bondy did not manage to make the difference either, like this crushed strike and well captured by Samba (60th) or a center-shot in additional time (90th) intercepted by the keeper. The Parisian, who returned quickly after the failure in the World Cup final in Qatar, was this time frustrated, multiplying the loss of balls and technical clumsiness.
Decisive openda
Lois Openda, for her part, delivered an XXL performance on the front of the Lensoise attack, author of a goal and an assist. Lined up alone at the forefront, with Florian Sotoca and Alexis Claude-Meurice on the sides, he spared no effort to undermine an unrecognizable Parisian defense.
Well launched by Fofana, following a loss of ball from Carlos Soler, the Belgian striker played Sergio Ramos, then Marquinhos, to sanction a very attentive Parisian defense and score his 8th goal of the season (28th). Untenable, Openda multiplied the races and could even have scored a double, especially on this shot on target following a bad recovery from Gianluigi Donnarumma (26th).
It was also he who, with an intelligent heel, brilliantly served Claude-Maurice to score the break goal after returning from the locker room (46th). After a World Cup during which he only played twelve short minutes, the Belgian striker once again showed how valuable he was in the eleven of RC Lens.
Replaced by Wesley-Said (72nd), he left to the cheers of the Lensois public, who also sang in honor of the man of the evening.