Lens 5 – Lorient 2: Blood and Gold on fire, putting 5 past The Merlucciidaes at home

RC Lens ease to a comfortable 5-2 win at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Both teams arrived fresh from some positive results. Lens were looking to continue their good run after winning their previous two matches in the competition. The most recent was against the Rennes at home (2-1), the other to AS Mónaco away (4-1). Lorient, meanwhile, had been hopeful of extending their winning run, after a 2-1 victory against Clermont Foot. Lens are now in 2nd place on the table and have 13 points while Lorient sit in 7th with 7 points after 5 matches.

Lens started strongly in the first half, when Florian Sotoca opened the rout, at 24 minutes. Blood and Gold looked to have the match under control when they scored again to grab the advantage, thanks to a goal from Wesley Said in the 28th minute to establish a 2-0. However, The Merlucciidaes then grabbed a goal from Terem Moffi just before half-time, ending the first half 2-1.

Lorient started strong in the second half and were able to dominate, with an early second effort from Terem Moffi in the 50th minute. However, each side looked hungry to win and Lens then found the back of the net in the 57th minute thanks to Salis Abdul Samed, taking the score to 3-2. The momentum was again with Lens, who then scored again courtesy of a 2nd effort from Florian Sotoca on the 77 minute mark to establish a 4-2 result. Lens then netted again and increased their advantage thanks to a goal from Lois Openda just before the full time to give a final score of 5-2.

Substitutions for Lens included Lois Openda, Gael Kakuta, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Massadio Haidara and Christopher Wooh for Wesley Said, David Pereira Da Costa, Jimmy Cabot, Deiver Machado and Lukasz Poreba, respectively. Lorient brought on Darline Yongwa, Julien Ponceau, Bonke Innocent and Ibrahima Kone, to replace Stephane Diarra, Theo Le Bris, Laurent Abergel and Dango Ouattara.

There were bookings for Jonathan Gradit from Lens. For Lorient, Dango Ouattara, Laurent Abergel and Terem Moffi saw yellow.

Lorient and Lens will next play away to AC Ajaccio and Reims respectively.