Lens top of Ligue 1 McDonald's after Toulouse win
RC Lens registered a 3-0 win against 10-man Toulouse to secure their place atop of Ligue 1 McDonald's at the halfway point of the season.
Emersson red card hands Lens upper-hand
Lens headed into this encounter at The Stadium with a lead to protect. Having performed valiantly prior to the international break, they knew that a win would be enough to ensure that they were atop of Ligue 1 McDonald's after 17 matchdays, the halfway point of the current season.
However, they came across a TéFéCé side with European ambitions of their own. Prior to this game, they were on a three-game unbeaten run of their own in the league, a run that included a draw against potential title contenders Marseille and a win against a Strasbourg side that finished their Europa Conference League 'League Phase' campaign top of the table.
Carles Martínez Novell's side were, however, dealt a blow early in the first half when Emersonn, the scorer of some important goals this season, saw red (23'). It meant that Toulouse would have to play over an hour at a numerical advantage, against a side that can now have ambitions of challenging PSG for the Ligue 1 McDonald's title.
2026 starts with Lens at the top of Ligue 1 📊✨ pic.twitter.com/dXwBFxGRPN
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) January 2, 2026
The pressure, however, did not immediately tell for Pierre Sage's side. It took over 30 minutes for that advantage to count when Wesley Said netted the opener (57') just before the hour mark. Said then could have netted a second soon after, but having got on the end of an excellent cross from Matthieu Udol, he could not turn his header home (70').
It meant that, even in the dying stages of the encounter, Toulouse kept hope of lodging a late comeback. However, it was Adrien Thomasson, one of Lens' key men in these opening months of the season, who proved decisive. He latched onto a parried save from a save from Guillaume Restes to fire home.
Resistance broken, Les Sang et Or would ensure that they improved their goal difference before the night was out. Pierre-Ismaelo Gainou scored a later third for Sage's side, with the three points already secured, to put the cherry on top of the cake and cap an excellent first half to the season, one that leaves the title race in Ligue 1 McDonald's wide open.
The stat: 2002
It was only a couple of seasons ago that Lens ran PSG close to the Ligue 1 McDonald's title, but it is not since the 2001-02 season that Les Sang et Or finished as "Champions D'Automne", the winners at the halfway point of the league season. Eight of the last 10 teams that have been top at this stage of the season have gone on to be crowned champions at the end of the campaign. There is a lead to protect for a Lens side that have defied expectations in recent months.
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