Image via @RCLens on Twitter
Sunday night’s top-of-the-table Ligue 1 clash between RC Lens and Paris Saint-Germain was everything that the detractors of the French top flight say it isn’t: intense, fiery and far from one-sided.
Prior to kick-off, it felt like the best opportunity Lens had to bounce back from a disappointing 0-0 with Nice. The visitors were without the suspended Neymar and with Lionel Messi still yet to arrive back from World Cup celebrations in Argentina, Lens sought to put the Parisians to the sword in front of a packed home crowd.
The home side roared into an early lead through Przemysław Frankowski, with PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma flapping at a cross and palming it out to the 27 year-old wing back, who took it well to side foot a volley into a gaping goal. Frankowski has been in electric form for Lens this season, and in my opinion could have been used to even greater effect than he was at the World Cup for Poland.
PSG equalised mere minutes later, in controversial style. Lens keeper Brice Samba appeared to have two hands on the ball when Hugo Ekitike was able to touch it away and tap in from a yard out. VAR checked the incident and decided not to rule out the goal.
Lens’ second goal was a fantastic display of their counter attacking principles, with captain Seko Fofana holding off two PSG players before playing a great through ball for striker Lois Openda, who ran the length of the opposition half before cutting back around the trailing defender and slotting the ball under Donnarumma to retake the lead for Lens.
Frankowski also played a part in Lens’ third goal, which arrived shortly after the start of the second half. The ball appeared to come off Frankowski, but the linesman signalled for a Lens throw. PSG took control of the ball but surrendered it under pressure, and intricate build-up play resulted in Alexis Claude-Maurice stroking the ball home for Lens’ third.
PSG had some opportunities to get a goal back, but by the last five minutes they had waved the white flag and accepted defeat. Midfielder Łukasz Poręba got a cameo in stoppage time and the final whistle meant that Lens had closed the gap to PSG to four points.
The fortunes of the Polish contingent at Lens has been mixed this season. Striker Adam Buksa has suffered a number of injury setbacks, and Poręba has been limited to cameos off the bench. Frankowski has been something of a star for them in a whole team of underrated players currently taking Ligue 1 by storm. I though that Frankowski’s defending against Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi for the whole game was resolute and rarely did he allow either of them a shot on goal.
Lens have a history of signing Polish players on account of the large Polish community in Lens, dating back over 100 years on account of immigration to the area to work in the highly profitable coal mines in the town.
Whether or not Lens can make up the now four point gap to PSG remains to be seen, but they are establishing themselves as the feel-good story of the Ligue 1 season, with one of Poland’s most underrated players at the heart of the side.
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