Lens (AFP)
Reduced to ten for more than an hour, Lens snatched a precious victory against Nîmes (2-1) which allows him to recover his fifth place on Sunday during the 34th day of Ligue 1.
The Sang et Or won thanks to goals from Igniatus Ganago (17th) and Massadio Haïdara (76th), while Zinedine Ferhat had equalized for the Nîmes at the start of the second period (52 sp).
The promoted Artesian, who scored his 15th success of the season, regained fifth place, synonymous with European qualification, with a total of 56 points, just ahead of Marseille (6th, 55 pts), winner in Reims on Friday (3-1 ) and Rennes (7th, 54 pts), which crushed Dijon on Sunday (5-1).
Nîmes falls for its part in the red zone (19th, 31 pts), exceeded on goal difference by Nantes, winner 2-1 in Strasbourg.
Yet deprived of many players due to injuries, suspensions and the Covid-19, Lens set foot on the entry ball and made the difference on his first opportunity.
David Pereira Da Costa, holder for the first time in his career in L1, delivered a vicious cross in the box.
In the fight with Kelyan Guessoum, Ganago stretched his leg, the ball took a strange trajectory after being countered by the Nîmes defender before falling back into the goal (1-0, 17th).
But the RCL complicated the task a few minutes later: in the duel with Renaud Ripart, the side Issiaga Sylla raised his leg too much and put his crampons in the face of the captain of the Gard.
A dangerous gesture sanctioned by exclusion (24th), Ripart leaving the field in blood.
Outnumbered, Lens gradually lost control of the game. The equalizer came logically at the start of the second half.
In the duel with Guessoum in the area, Jonathan Clauss knocked him down.
On penalty, Ferhat did not tremble to put the teams back to equality (1-1, 52nd).
In great difficulty to get out of his camp, Lens suffered but neither Niclas Eliasson, author of a free kick on the bar (67th), nor his partners succeeded in the last gesture.
While we believed Lens on the verge of cracking, an acrobatic recovery from Haidara on a corner offered unexpected success to the Sang et Or (2-1, 76th), who continue their dream season.
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