Lens destroys Monaco and takes (provisionally?) second place

2023-04-23 09:26:01

A double for Lois Openda and the three points for RC Lens. FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP

Led by Lois Openda, author of a double, the Sang et Or made short work of AS Monaco on Saturday, at Bollaert, on behalf of the 32nd day.

Lens-Monaco 3-0
Lens : Examiners (9^e16^e), Thomasson (56e)

Lens strikes very hard in the race for the Champions League. A week after their defeat against SG (3-1), the northern club smiled again by winning the highly anticipated clash against Monaco (3-0). An authoritative and logical success which allows the RCL to temporarily take second place in the standings, and to distance the ASM by five points.

Openda’s express double

In a boiling Bollaert, the Sang et Or were quick to take control of the game. ‘hour. The Belgian striker first opened the scoring opportunistically (1-0, 9^e), before doubling the bet by taking over a perfect cross from Machado, also very prominent (2-0). Euphoric, the Lensois punished Monegasques who were still as feverish behind and irrelevant throughout the first period. ASM, deprived of Golovin and Embolo, could even have joined the locker room with a greater delay if Fofana had found the frame (39^e45^e).

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Monaco missed it all

The break did not allow Philippe Clément to wake up his men. Quite the contrary. As soon as they returned from the locker room, the Monegasques were again overwhelmed by the Lensoise waves. Thomasson, in the wake of a first goal denied by the Var (49^e), was responsible for widening the gap, on a caviar from Openda (3-0, 56^e). With a three-goal lead, the RCL gradually dropped off over the last half hour. Not enough to allow the club of the Principality to revive. Long harmless, the Monegasques waited until the end of the match to be dangerous, but they were unable to recover. Like the occasion badly negotiated by Ben Yedder, symbol of the ordeal experienced by the ASM in Bollaert (73^e). Logical winner of this one-way clash, Lens is two points ahead of OM and will retain its second place if the Phocaeans do not win in Lyon on Sunday evening.