Lens move to second with win over Marseille

Roberto De Zerbi's Olympique de Marseille fell to a 2-1 defeat to Racing Club de Lens on Saturday night, as Les Olympiens ceded top spot in Ligue 1 McDonald's to Paris Saint-Germain. Mason Greenwood opened the scoring before Odsonne Edouard struck for the hosts, as the contest was settled with an own goal by Benjamin Pavard.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men had arrived in the north looking to respond to their midweek defeat in the UEFA Champions League against Sporting CP. The early signs were promising — Mason Greenwood continued his rich vein of form, opening the scoring after 17 minutes with a precise finish from Timothy Weah’s low cross.

However, Benjamin Pavard endured a nightmare evening. The French defender conceded a penalty midway through the first half after fouling Odsonne Édouard inside the box. The former Parisian dusted himself off and converted the spot kick with a cool Panenka (23’), bringing Lens level and igniting the Bollaert crowd.

The home side, driven by Florian Thauvin’s inspiration against his old club, grew stronger after the interval. Eight minutes into the second half, Marseille’s woes deepened when Pavard diverted a corner into his own net (53’) to give Lens the lead. The defeat means Marseille surrendered top spot to PSG, while Lens leapfrog them into second place.

THE STAT:

Pierre Sage, who celebrated his 50th Ligue 1 McDonald's match on the bench (41 with Lyon, 9 with Lens), has won 58% of his matches as a manager in the top-flight, the third-highest ratio since his debut in December 2023 behind Luis Enrique (70% over the period) and his counterpart tonight, Roberto De Zerbi (60%).

Odsonne Edouard has scored in each of his last three Ligue 1 appearances (3 goals), a first for him in Europe's top five leagues – it was back in January-February 2021, in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic, that the current Lens striker last scored in as many consecutive league games (6).