Lens crushes Troyes for a second consecutive win
Lens (7th) sealed their league confirmation, delivering a win. Despite occasional pressure from fighting Troyes (17th), Lens thrived thanks to Thauvin’s two assists. Watch Ganiou and Aguilar’s injury status closely.
The promoted side suffers its fifth consecutive defeat, remaining stuck in the relegation zone.
Diawara’s number!
Diawara slipped a clever pass before cutting inside left of the box. The attack collapsed inside, yet the referee allowed play to continue.
Troyes fail to dominate the match
Even with a numbers edge, Troyes posed little threat in the closing minutes, pointing to another loss for the promoted side.
Added time:
Five minutes of added time will be played.
Risser close to a blunder!
Risser narrowly escaped danger when his clearance was blocked by Le Douaron’s back, but the keeper managed to claim the ball.
Baidoo remains calm
Troyes tried to combine in tight space, but Ifnaoui’s final pass was intercepted by Baidoo as Le Douaron lingered in the area.
Ivanovic’s effort goes unrewarded
Despite Mesloub’s deep pass, Ivanovic hustled left for the ball but lost the duel.
Lens reduced to ten men!
Ganiou will not return to the pitch. With all substitutions used, Lens will finish with ten men.
Ganiou’s return looks very limited
Play resumed as Ganiou struggled to stand. His comeback looks doubtful, while Haidara received a warning.
Will Lens finish with ten?
With no changes left, Lens sees their captain Ganiou on the ground. Lens currently has ten players.
Things are stirring in Troyes
Diop and Maronnier make way for Le Douaron and Gomis.
Yellow card for Baidoo
Baidoo receives a yellow for a late challenge on Ripart.
Two Troyes players booked
Diaz is booked for a harsh tackle on Haidara; Ripart gets the same sanction.
Troyes still stuck
Troyes apply some pressure, yet Diawara’s final cross is cleared by a defender.
Aguilar must exit…
Aguilar is replaced by Abdulhamid.
Finally a save by Beach
Bulatovic, slightly wide right, fires a direct free‑kick from 30 m; Beach blocks it swiftly.
Aguilar’s ankle injury
Aguilar appears to have hurt his ankle and stays on the ground as medics attend.
The exit of in‑form Thauvin
Edouard, Titraoui and Thauvin are swapped for Ivanovic, Haïdara and Mesloub.
Troyes no longer competitive
The third Lens goal silences Troyes, who now lack chances. Lens appears safe.
Thauvin shines again
Captain Thauvin, a double‑creator tonight, proves indispensable; the French international has been in fine form lately.
Substitutions made
Reduced, Todibo yields his place to Baidoo.
For Troyes: Nkada is taken off for Diawara.
Todibo reduced
Todibo seems physically off‑beat, stretching for a few seconds; he may exit soon.
Troyes lament missed chances
As in the first half, Lens needs few chances to strike, the opposite of Troyes who keep missing the target.
LENS BREAKS THROUGH
Defying the flow, Lens widens the gap! On the left, Thauvin dazzles against Ifnaoui, then centers to Aguilar, who heads it in. 1‑3!
Risser’s spectacular save!
A Troyes corner finds Ripart alone in the box; his header is denied by an imperial Risser in goal.
Troyes waste too many chances
Troyes may regret their lack of cutting edge in the final move; plenty of time remains for the hosts to respond.
Ripart’s miss!
It doesn’t work for Troyes! After Karim’s high win, Ripart receives the ball alone but shoots wide of Risser’s left post.
Troyes show good intent
Troyes start the restart well, earning another corner from Gozzi’s strike; Sotoca clears the set‑piece.
Todibo saves the day
Nkada forces the left channel, then feeds a back‑pass to Ripart whose left‑foot shot is blocked by Todibo. Skoras sends it out for a corner.
Match resumes!
Back at Stade de l’Aube, Lens takes the kickoff.
Lens punishes Troyes’s inefficiency
Without dominating, Lens secures the essentials at halftime. Troyes pays for their lack of sharpness despite good pressing.
Nkada hits Risser
After Thauvin loses the ball, Ripart shifts right to Nkada, whose weak return fails to trouble Risser.
Gozzi finds no taker
A Troyes free‑kick into the box sees Gozzi’s header saved by Risser.
Could Edouard’s goal start a long streak?
Odsonne Edouard nets his first Lens goal of the season. A frequent scorer last year, he may have sparked his campaign.
LENS PUNISHES TROYES
Unlike Troyes, Lens remains composed in front of goal. A swift counter led by Thauvin sees Edouard meet a low cross, firing past Beach. 1‑2!
Nkada misses the double!
Following Diaz’s surge, Nkada reaches the penalty spot but his right‑footed finish skims wide of Risser. A missed chance for Troyes.
Added time:
Five minutes of added time will be played in this first half.
Is there a Lens injury?
Possible physical issue in Lens’s defense as Baidoo heads to warm up.
Diaz under pressure
Pressed by Edouard, Diaz finds a retreating option, marking a strong period for Lens.
Bulatovic hits the post!
Bulatovic’s beautiful left‑footed curl hits Beach’s post; it follows a solid build‑up by Aguilar on the right.
Edouard finds space but…
Thauvin uses a collective move on the left to deliver a precise cross to Edouard, whose header sails over Beach’s goal.
Match restart
Play finally resumes after both sides take a brief pause for instructions.
Play halted
The match is briefly halted due to flares; the announcer makes a statement.
Skoras stays active
Skoras, moving on the left, positions himself for a powerful shot that deflects to a corner by Monfray.
End of drought for Troyes
Nkada scores his first Troyes goal, guiding the team back to the net for the first time since early September against Strasbourg.
Troyes officially rewarded
After a brief pause, Troyes’s goal is confirmed.
TROYES LEVEL
Troyes return to the fight! After Mille’s strike is saved by Risser, Nkada capitalises on Antonio’s mis‑clearance, heading in past the keeper’s left post. 1‑1!
Mille in motion
Mille showcases technical flair, beating Sotoca and Bulatovic, before a third Lens player stops the attack.
Sang et Or remain calm
Troyes continue to press the Sang et Or, but their play remains chaotic; Lens’s backline stays untroubled.
Lens awakens
Monfray’s own goal sparks Lens’s possession dominance, leaving Troyes more subdued.
Bulatovic misses the frame
From 25 m, Bulatovic unleashes his right foot, but the effort sails well over Beach’s crossbar.
Ganiou contains Nkada
Chasing deep, Nkada is quickly caught by a solid Ganiou, who, aided by a teammate, clears the danger.
Goal (not yet?) credited to Aguilar
For now, the goal is credited to Monfray rather than Aguilar; it’s unclear if Aguilar’s volley was on target.
LENS OPENS SCORING
The Sang et Or needed only one chance: a Thauvin corner deflected by Todibo finds Aguilar, whose right‑footed volley is saved by Monfray; Diop cannot intervene. 0‑1!
Troyes start interestingly
Troyes start brightly, with Dumont’s men applying pressure on Lens’s build‑up.
Nkada’s first attempt
From just over 20 m, Nkada receives Mille’s turnover, then attempts a floating right‑footed strike that misses the frame wide of Risser.
Troyes still untroubled
Captain Thauvin, after a right‑wing strike, looks for Sotoca, whose header to Edouard is denied; a foul on a Troyes player follows.
Lens wants to set the tempo
Pressed early, Lens seeks momentum via Skoras. He creates but cannot finish in the final metres, opting to hold the ball.
Ripart’s poor move
Late on Ganiou, Ripart commits a high foot; the referee whistles the foul, yet the attacker avoids a card.
Bulatovic close to giving Troyes a goal!
From Titraoui’s pass, Bulatovic mis‑controls, allowing Ifnaoui a near‑goal chance that slips away.
Karim blocked
Mille’s first corner leads to Karim’s rebound, which the defence blocks; Troyes aim to accelerate the game.
Kick‑off!
Referee Hakim Ben El Hadj blows the start for Troyes vs Lens; the visitors kick off.
Kick‑off imminent
Troyes and Lens take the field at Stade de l’Aube; the match begins shortly.
Lens strings victories against Troyes
In the last six meetings with Troyes, Lens has always won, most recently last season’s Coupe de France, a 2‑4 triumph featuring a Sima brace (absent tonight) and goals from Sotoca and Bulatovic.
A few injuries hit the Sang et Or
After a Champions League loss to Sporting Portugal (0‑2), Lens targets a second straight league win but will be missing key players. Udol is suspended after a red card versus OL; injuries keep Gradit and Sima out of the Troyes trip.
Lens eyes a second straight win
Last season’s PSG runner‑up, Lens has stumbled early. Under Cahuzac, they rebounded with a solid home win over OL (2‑1). This trip to Troyes could truly launch their campaign.
Offensive slump worries Troyes
Troyes face a worrying statistic: no league goal in over a month, last scoring on a 2‑6 loss to Strasbourg in early September, with Mille and Le Douaron finding the net.
Troyes linger in doubt
Promoted Troyes are far from dreaming. After a solitary win over Lorient, they sit on a four‑game losing streak, hovering near the bottom but still close to 15th place.
Troyes lineup: Ripart preferred over Le Douaron
Beach – Maronnier, Monfray, Diaz, Gozzi – Karim, Diop, Mille – Ifnaoui, Ripart, Nkada
Lens official XI includes Edouard and Thauvin
Risser – Antonio, Ganiou, Todibo – Aguilar, Titraoui, Bulatovic, Skoras – Thauvin, Edouard, Sotoca
Troyes have just dismissed their sporting director
ESTAC announced Friday night the immediate departure of sporting director Jocelyn Blanchard. The former midfielder, already under internal investigation for alleged misconduct toward club staff, now faces a judicial probe, as reported by L’Est Éclair.
>> Troyes parts ways with sporting director Jocelyn Blanchard amid legal scrutiny for alleged sexist behavior
Hello and welcome to this live
Second‑last in the league with four points, Troyes host Lens this Saturday at 20:45 for Ligue 1 round 7.
Promoted ESTAC endures four straight defeats despite a decent start to the season with a draw against Paris FC and a win over Lorient.
Meanwhile, the Sang et Or aim to rebound from a 0‑2 Champions League loss to Sporting and secure a second league win after last weekend’s 2‑1 victory over OL, following a shaky start.