Lens missed an opportunity to reclaim the summit of Ligue 1 after being held to a 1-1 draw against ambitious Strasbourg.
Gary O’Neil’s side struggled to secure a home victory, marking only their second failure in seven matches across all competitions.
Following last weekend’s dramatic home defeat to Monaco, Pierre Sage’s men were eager for a quick rebound in Strasbourg.
However, it was the hosts who made the brighter start. Julio Enciso’s early strike was brilliantly denied by Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser, setting the tone for the opening exchanges.
Strasbourg capitalized on their momentum in the 14th minute when Joaquín Panichelli seized on a misplaced pass from Ismaelo Ganiou and produced a composed finish over Risser, netting his 14th league goal of the season.
Lens responded aggressively, but chances went begging. Odsonne Edouard fired wide from a promising position, while Adrien Thomasson and Wesley Saad both missed with headers. Edouard later squandered two close-range opportunities, ensuring Strasbourg went into halftime with a narrow lead.
The second half saw Lens assert dominance. Despite repeated threats, Strasbourg goalkeeper Mike Penders kept his side in the game with crucial saves from Matthieu Udol and Florian Thauvin.
Lens’ persistence eventually paid off in the 62nd minute. A weak punch from Penders fell to Mamadou Sangare at the edge of the box, and the Malian midfielder made no mistake, slotting a first-time strike into the bottom corner to level the score.
Shortly after, Strasbourg appeared to earn a penalty when Malang Sarr challenged Panichelli in the box, but referee Clément Turpin overturned the decision following a VAR review.
The match ended with both sides pressing for a winner. Abdoul Ouattara’s low effort was smartly stopped by Risser, while Abdallah Sima blazed over from close range.
In the end, the draw left Lens dropping crucial points in the title race, while Strasbourg missed a chance to climb into the top six.
