A week after teh home defeat against OM, the northern club raised its head again in Reims (2-0) at the start of the 13th matchday.
Will Still hasn’t been back at Marne since May and his dismissal at the end of last season. Who better than him can help Lens snatch the three points from Auguste Delaune? Definitely few managers because Reims have managed to defeat several members of the top 6 this season such as Marseille,Paris and Lyon last week. The plan had to come to fruition without a hitch against the young and fiery Rémois and a coach the Belgian knows equally well, luka Elsner, for whom he was assistant at Standard de Liège.
The start of the match went very well for the lensois with Nzola coming close to scoring from the start (3rd). More incisive, Lensois practices high pressing which prevents Rémois from coming out correctly. Reims receives two or three crosses without being sharp but Lens ends up getting the ball out on every occasion. The release will come from Adrien Thomasson, who checks his chest and continues with a low volley that sends the ball into the back of the net from outside the area (20th, 0-1). The Rémois try to wake up in the second half but without really convincing. However, lens leaves them the ball and retreats further and further but without conceding a goal before the end of the first act.
Reims too passive, Lens with anger
Marnais lacked character against a lensoise team that wandered. The awakening of Will Still’s players occurred ten minutes into the second half,first with Labeau-Lascary entering the defense but Yevhann Diouf made a good save (54th). Mbala Nzola also had a huge chance one-on-one, but his shot was fully deflected.
The Angolan international recovered a few minutes later and doubled the Lensois lead (62nd, 0-2) by receiving the ball with his back to the goal, then eliminating the defenders and finally the goalkeeper. Much more enterprising, the Lensois do not worry about the Rémois who have only one great prospect.Junya Ito, thrown deep from a corner, also misses a one-on-one against Brice Samba (73rd). This will be the last big action of the match and the Rémois will suffer their fourth defeat in six league matches.
In the standings, RC Lens have moved up to 6th place, overtaking Lyon before the weekend’s match, while Reims are close to leaving the top 10 with this ninth place.
