Artesian artists have struck again. Thanks to a free kick from Frankowski on the head of the Brazilian Danso (38th), RC Lens won (1-0) at home against Trojans who were still not unworthy. Thanks to this fourth success at home in as many meetings this season,The Lensois are first in the championship before the other matches of this seventh day of Ligue 1. For their part, the Trojans suffered their fourth defeat this season.
the @RCLens has 17 points after 7 days of @Ligue1UberEats this season equaling his record in the top flight at this stage of the competition by counting 3 points for a victory (17 in 2001/02). @PSSportsFR #RCLESTAC
– Stats Foot (@Statsdufoot) September 9, 2022
Undefeated since a trip to Strasbourg on April 3 – 15 games in a row without defeat – Lens asserts itself, week after week, as a credible candidate for Europe, while the club has been deprived of it since 2007. The reasons to believe in it are numerous.
If the departures of Jonathan Clauss (OM), Ignatius Ganago (Nantes) and Cheick Doucouré (Crystal Palace) seemed inevitable, the artesian club managed to keep its captain and playmaker Seko Fofana, even offering itself the luxury of extend with great fanfare on the lawn of the Bollaert stadium after a festival against Lorient (5-2), Wednesday August 31. This bodes well for the future since the Ivorian has already scored two goals and two assists since the start of the season.
Bollaert-Delelis Stadium
37,161 artesian hearts
11:05 p.m.The central circle as a zone of truth.#CaptainSeko is Artesian and will remain so #Seko2025 pic.twitter.com/gxlWFo50kT
— Racing Club de Lens (@RCLens) September 1, 2022
In addition, the Blood and Gold have strengthened. Loïs Openda, already author of four achievements, landed from Bruges and perfectly supports Florian Sotoca (five goals) in attack. While Salis Abdul Samed in the middle and the former Marseillais Brice Samba in the cages, chained good performances.
Winner in Monaco on the second day (4-1), and Rennes (2-1), Lens has already rubbed shoulders with big cars, happily. In October, the reception of Lyon, the North derby against Lille and the match at the Vélodrome against Marseille will be all tests. Without European competition, the Lensois will benefit from a significant freshness advantage against the Phocaeans.
In office since February 2020, Franck Haise knows his group perfectly and manages, year after year, to make it progress. After having brought the club up to Ligue 1 from its first months on the bench, the 51-year-old technician has installed Lens at the top of the rankings for the past two seasons, clinching seventh place each time.
Second best attack in the championship (16 goals scored) tied with Montpellier, which has one game less, the Lensois are betting a lot on their attacking game. Despite an impressive streak of invicibility, Franck Haise praised his team’s mental strength at a press conference on Wednesday 7 September. “We like to win, and when we can’t, we try to refuse defeat. In the last 14 games, there are four where we have played outnumbered. And some, we have turned them completely, that means Something”. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to maintain this pace over the coming months.