In a dramatic Ligue 1 encounter on Matchday 25, Lens defeated Marseille 1-0 thanks to a last-minute goal from Neil El Aynaoui. The victory at the Vélodrome ended Lens’s four-game losing streak and highlighted Marseille’s struggles to convert chances.
Marseille started aggressively, seeking to maintain their Champions League qualification ambitions, especially with a looming Classique against PSG. Lens, desperate to break their losing streak, faced a challenging task at the Vélodrome.
The home side began strongly, with Dedic missing an early chance. However, Lens gradually settled, though their attacks lacked sharpness. Marseille responded, with Gouiri hitting the crossbar.
Lens then had a golden opportunity when Saïd set up Diouf, but Rulli made a crucial save. Ryan then mirrored Rulli’s heroics, denying Gouiri and Balerdi in quick succession.
Marseille introduced Greenwood and Luis Henrique at halftime to boost their attack. Despite this, Lens threatened when Rongier’s mistake allowed Diouf through, but Marseille’s defense scrambled to clear. Marseille struggled against Lens’s defensive setup, prompting De Zerbi to bring on Maupay. Henrique and Maupay both missed late chances to put Marseille ahead.
The decisive moment came in added time. Machado’s cross found El Aynaoui, who fired a powerful shot into the net, securing a vital win for Lens.
Player Ratings
Olympique de Marseille
Géronimo Rulli – 5: Made several key saves, including a crucial one-on-one, but ultimately conceded late.
Quentin Merlin – 5: An improved performance, contributing energy and linking well with midfield.
Geoffrey Kondogbia – 4: [Rating]
Leonardo Balerdi – 5: Solid defensively, hit the crossbar with a header, but perhaps could have positioned better for the winning goal.
Valentin Rongier – 5: Adapted to a defensive role, but fatigue led to the error allowing the decisive attack.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 5: [Rating]
Adrien Rabiot – 4: [Rating]
Ismaël Bennacer – 4: [Rating]
Bilal Nadir – 4: [Rating]
Amine Gouiri – 5: Dangerous in the first half, hitting the post, but less effective after halftime.
Mason Greenwood – 3: Looked unfit and lacked impact as a substitute.
Luis Henrique – 4: [Rating]
Racing Club de Lens
Matt Ryan – 7: Outstanding performance, making crucial saves to keep Marseille at bay.
Ruben Aguilar – 5: [Rating]
Deiver Machado – 6: Provided the assist for the winning goal.
Malang Sarr – 5: [Rating]
Jonathan Gradit – 5: [Rating]
Abdulai Juma Bah – 4: [Rating]
Andy Diouf – 5: Had a good chance but was denied by Rulli.
Neil El Aynaoui – 6: Scored the decisive goal with a fantastic finish.
In the heart of Bangalore lives and works Vihaan Mehrotra, one of modern India's most insightful sports analysts. His childhood passion for cricket and field hockey evolved into a successful career. His daily column in Bangalore's digital media covers all significant world sporting events, from cricket matches to badminton tournaments. As a sports betting expert, he developed his own methodology for analyzing team statistics. His IPL match predictions are renowned for their 75% accuracy rate.
