Marseille deal another blow to struggling Lens
Gouiri pounces on an early blunder and substitute Abdallah grabs a late winner as Marseille make it five league wins in a row, piling more misery on Lens four days after their 9-1 Champions League thrashing.
Marseille extended their excellent run in Ligue 1 with a 2-1 win at Lens in the final match of the 10th round. Bruno Génésio’s side claimed a fifth straight league victory thanks to goals from Amine Gouiri and youngster Keylian Abdallah. Former OM player Florian Thauvin scored for the hosts, but could not prevent another disappointment for his team.
The game at the Bollaert-Delelis came just four days after Lens suffered a humiliating 9-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League, and the home fans made their frustration clear. The start of the match only added to the tension. In the 2nd minute, Jonathan Gradit played a back-pass that Samson Baidoo let run, expecting goalkeeper Robin Risser to collect it. Risser was out of position, and Gouiri rolled the ball into the empty net.
Lens responded with aggressive play and equalised in the 20th minute. Florian Sotoca won the ball on the right and crossed for an unmarked Thauvin, who headed in his fifth league goal of the season against his former club. Marseille hit back quickly, with Gouiri striking the crossbar five minutes later, and both sides had chances before the break.
Jeffrey de Lange made several fine saves for Marseille after the restart, most notably from Matthieu Udol. Then, in the 82nd minute, Gouiri’s shot was blocked and substitute Abdallah reacted quickest to fire home the winner.
Marseille move up to fourth with 18 points, two behind third-placed Paris FC. Lens stay 11th with 13 points, and the pressure on head coach Yannick Cahuzac continues to grow.
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