RC Lens showed remarkable grit once again as they pulled off a dramatic 2-1 victory away at AJ Auxerre, despite finishing the match with ten men and scoring the winner in stoppage time.
After battling to a draw against Rennes while a man down last week, Pierre Sage’s side went one better at the Stade Abbé-Deschamps on Saturday night.
Abdallah Sima headed home a decisive goal in the 96th minute to seal all three points and lift Lens to fourth place, at least temporarily, in the Ligue 1 standings.
Edouard Gets Off the Mark
Lens made the perfect start, pressing high and unsettling Auxerre’s defense. Their dominance paid off early when Odsonne Edouard opened his Ligue 1 account with a precise left-footed strike in the 14th minute.
Auxerre grew into the contest and finally drew level after the break, as Francisco Sierralta headed home from close range in the 61st minute.
When Ismaëlo Ganiou was shown a red card in the 73rd minute, Lens were forced to dig deep once more. Instead of retreating, they pushed harder — with Sima first hitting the post in the 91st minute.
Then, deep into added time, Adrien Thomasson provided his second assist of the night, curling in a corner that Sima met powerfully to clinch the 2-1 victory at the death.
The result means Lens have now gone two straight away matches unbeaten while playing part of both games a man down, a testament to their spirit and tactical discipline under Pierre Sage.
As the international break approaches, the Sang-et-Or can look upwards, brimming with confidence and determination in their pursuit of European qualification.
