Reduced to ten, Lens tames Panathinaikos in the first leg of the play-off

Lens played for more than an hour with ten against eleven, after the expulsion of Facundo Medina on Thursday.

Lens’ European destiny will be decided in Athens. Facing Panathinaikos in the Conference League play-off first leg on Thursday, August 22, RC Lens won 2-1 thanks to goals from Przemyslaw Frankowski (4th) and Wesley Said (34th), after playing for over an hour with ten players against eleven following the expulsion of Facundo Medina (21st). Although they are in a favourable position before the return match on Thursday, August 29, Lens will have to hold on to finish the job and qualify for the regular season.

But given the scenario of the evening, RC Lens will be largely satisfied with this success, however narrow it may be. Because the Artésiens delivered a courageous performance in front of the Bollaert crowd, which was sold out for the 49th time in a row for this European meeting. Between the early (but incontestable) expulsion of Facundo Medina, and a penalty conceded in the very last minutes (finally cancelled by the VAR), the blood and gold crowd experienced an evening rich in emotions.

Positive emotions, first, since the Lensois started the match with a bang. Facing Panathinaikos, who came very close to qualifying for the Europa League a week earlier against Ajax Amsterdam, Will Still’s men knew they would have to pull out all the stops. Because even though it was only a first-leg play-off for a place in the Conference League, the European pedigree of Panathinaikos, who beat OM just a year ago in the Champions League, was obvious to everyone.

This is how, in the 4th minute, Przemyslaw Frankowski opened the score with a curling left-footed shot (1-0). Asphyxiated by the opponent’s intensity, Panathinaikos took the blows, and Lens then came close to breaking several times. Despite their numerical inferiority, the Artésiens ended up doubling the lead, thanks to the composure of Wesley Saïd, who scored twice in the area (2-0, 35th).

Lens thus logically took the lead at half-time, superior in all areas to a Panathinaikos team that only worried Brice Samba once, on a header from Bakasetas (24th). But after the break, Greek captain Fotis Ioannidis reviewed the entire Artois defense to reduce the score (2-1, 54th), and revive the suspense. With its recent experience acquired in C1 last season, Lens then broke the rhythm of the match, and even had a few chances to make it 3-1. Failing to convert them, RCL secured its victory and will go to Athens with a one-goal lead.