January 02, (THEWILL) – Lens pulled off a proper victory on New Year’s Day, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
PSG’s lead at the top of the Ligue 1 standings cut to four points, as goals from Przemyslaw Frankowski, Lois Openda, and Alexis Claude-Maurice, gave Lens the victory, while Hugo Ekitike scored for PSG.
The loss is PSG’s first of the season and keeps Les Parisiens within reach of the chasing pack of teams in the top flight of French football. Also, the match was the 100th in charge for Lens manager Franck Haise, who celebrated the milestone with a memorable win.
Despite missing star player Lionel Messi, who is away on international duty, PSG struggled to match Lens’ intensity and were unable to mount a comeback after falling behind early in the second half. The win will boost Lens’ title hopes and send a message to the rest of the league that they are as much title contenders as Christophe Galtier’s side.
The attention of both sides now turn to the Coupe de France with PSG back in action on Friday away at Chateauroux while Lens are up against Linas Montlhery at the Stade Robert Bobin.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
