Déjà-vu: Lens' surprise success decrypted
There is a sense of déjà-vu at the Stade Bollaert. Back in 2023, RC Lens shocked French football by running PSG close for the Ligue 1 McDonald's title, finishing just one point behind the eventual champions. Fast forward to today, and Les Sang et Or are in the exact same position and defying expectations once more.
Sage leads the charge
"We were questioning ourselves," admitted Lens captain Adrien Thomasson in September. "Because we lost important players from our team, be it young players or experienced players. Naturally, we want to be competitive, we want to be ambitious, so we asked ourselves how it would look this season, and whether the players who replaced those who left would be at the same level."
It was another summer of high-profile sales at Lens, who lost the likes of Facundo Medina, Neil El-Aynaoui, and Andy Diouf. With club president Jospeh Oughourlian implementing a more austere regime, the funds were not there to go big in the transfer window to replace those big-name departures.
Lens’ record over the past few games 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/hk45mIoewI
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 27, 2025
However, beyond the changes on the pitch, there was also a change on the touchline. After just one year at the Bollaert, Will Still left to join Southampton and former Lyon manager Pierre Sage came in. "He has already brought a lot to the table, a lot of rigour throughout the week in training, in terms of lifestyle rules, all of these things," said Thomasson, who then evoked "tactical differences" compared to recent seasons, as well as Sage's "serenity and calmness" on matchday.
Repurpose and revive
The manager is getting the best out of a squad that, relative to other European qualification rivals, has not seen significant investment. Sage has worked with what he has got and is maxing out his resources.
Malang Sarr, in particular, is experiencing a revival. It was only a year ago that his Chelsea contract was terminated and that his career was at a crossroads. What a difference a year can make. The former OGC Nice defender is now a fixture in Lens' back-line and is ensuring that Medina's departure is not acutely felt.
Another player experiencing a revival is Florian Thauvin, who admitted that, in the six years since leaving Marseille, retirement had crossed his mind. Yet his form since joining Lens in the summer has not only driven Les Sang et Or to their current second-place standing, it has also earned him a recall to the France squad. And on his first game for Les Bleus in six years, he scored.
WHAT A VOLLEY 🔥
WHAT A COMEBACK 🔥
FLORIAN THAUVIN. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/YipbvtbwGH— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 10, 2025
There is revival and also repurposing. Sage's decision to move Thomasson deeper into the midfield has reaped rich rewards, and whilst his ball progression is proving a useful tool, it isn't restricting his influence in the final third.
"I have found a position on the pitch that perfectly suits me," says Thomasson. "It allows me to get on the ball more, to construct the game, but also to be able to get forward, to get into the box, but to come from further back." Thomasson currently has four assists; no player in Ligue 1 McDonald's has more.
But whilst individuals are standing out, it is clear that Lens' greatest strength lies in the collective, just as it did when they ran PSG close for the title two years ago.
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>> Lens move second in Ligue 1 McDonald's thanks to a win over Marseille
