Lens get back to winning ways against Saint-Étienne

RC Lens earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over AS Saint-Étienne on Sunday afternoon at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, responding positively after last weekend’s derby defeat to Lille. A second-half goal from Koyalipou proved decisive which was full of missed chances, controversy, and late drama.

Will Still's men were made to sweat for the three points but ultimately delivered a crucial win that kept their European hopes alive. Lens now sit just four points adrift of seventh place—potentially enough for a continental spot—while Saint-Étienne remain 17th and mired in relegation danger.

Cardona's Costly Miss from the Spot

The key moment of the first half came just before the interval when Lens centre-back Sarr clipped Davitashvili inside the area. The referee pointed to the spot after some hesitation, but Ryan made amends for his recent blunder against Lille, diving low to deny Cardona's tame penalty. It was the 13th penalty Saint-Étienne have conceded this season—a Ligue 1 record spanning the last 50 years.

That miss kept the score level at the break, despite chances at both ends. Diouf and Aguilar had efforts saved by Larsonneur, while Davitashvili spurned a golden opportunity after intercepting a poor back pass early on.

Lens find the breakthrough

It wasn’t until the 75th minute that Lens finally found the breakthrough. Substitute Koyalipou, who had only just come on, pounced on a cut-back from Machado and finished clinically past Larsonneur. The goal was initially checked by VAR but ultimately stood—Koyalipou’s second in Ligue 1 since arriving in January.

The hosts had looked increasingly dominant in possession (64%) and territory as the game progressed, with Aguilar and Machado constant threats down the flanks. A series of tactical changes from Will Still—bringing on Koyalipou, Fulgini and Zaroury—helped Lens up the tempo and stretch a tiring ASSE side.

The match was not without tension: Ojediran was shown a yellow card for a high boot that could have been red, while both sides racked up bookings in an increasingly physical battle. Earlier in the game, Lens had a goal disallowed for a tight offside call involving Aguilar.

For Lens, the victory is a welcome morale boost and a stepping stone back toward the European mix. For Saint-Étienne, the loss adds to their growing list of frustrations—and with other relegation rivals picking up points, their top-flight status looks increasingly under threat.

THE STAT: two 

Lens have won each of their last two Ligue 1 home games for the first time this season. Le Sang & Or have also kept two consecutive clean sheets in front their home crowd in the top flight since the start of the 2024-2025 season. 

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