A difficult success but a deserved reward. Racing club de Lens took the reins of Ligue 1, thanks to a difficult victory over Troyes (1-0), Friday September 9, at the start of the 7e daytime.
Undefeated for fifteen games (including last season), the Sang et Or provided the essentials against the eye-catching Trojans. With 17 points on the clock (five wins, two draws), Racing settles into the championship leader’s chair at least for a few hours, with a head start on Paris-Saint-Germain and Marseille, who respectively face Brest and Lille on Saturday.
In a sold-out and boiling Bollaert stadium, the Lensois quickly took control of operations and confiscated the ball. Logically, they created the first opportunity: on a cross from Facundo Medina, Loïs Openda placed a volley that crashed into the post (6e).
Gradit’s injury
Then the Lensois will claim a penalty after a rough contact between Erik Palmer-Brown and Jonathan Gradit (10e). Badly fell on his right shoulder, the artesian defender had to give up his place in stride. He suffers from a broken collarbone, said after the match, his coach, Franck Haise.
Lens continued their dominance, which for a long time proved sterile against the well-established and solid Champenois. Finally, it was on a kick that the RCL unblocked the situation: on a free kick from Frankowski, Danso got rid of the marking to open the scoring with a header (1-0, 39e).
Estac reacted timidly with two attempts blocked in the Lens area after a cross from Yasser Larouci (41e), but the locals quickly responded with a shot off target from Jimmy Cabot (43e).
After half-time, the Sang et Or continued their momentum, like this shot from Seko Fofana, entered on the return from the locker room, which was narrowly deflected by a Trojan defender (56e). Then Florian Sotoca found the crossbar of the head (69e), before his volley grazes the post (79e).
But Troyes proved dangerous on the counterattack: after an oriented control, Mama Baldé unleashed a powerful shot that Brice Samba caught in two stages (59e), then he missed the target (81e).
“Nice to watch the ranking”
Finally, Lens managed to keep his goal in advance to clinch a victory which allows him to appear, at least temporarily, at the top of the championship, to the delight of his noisy supporters.
“It’s a nice symbol, but we won’t do moretempered Franck Haise. It will be nice to watch the standings tomorrow [samedi] morning, but we will have to act quickly because it could change with the matches on Saturday. »
Estac, which remained on two successes and a draw, remains in the middle of the ranking (11e with 7 points), with a hint of regret. “I know that we are in Lens, with a good audience, I know that RC Lens is first tonightsaid Bruno Irles, the Trojan coach. But I am convinced that there was the potential, in my team, with my players, to do better. We should have been more authoritative in the first half. »