Two days before the end of the championship, Franck Haise's men are now five points ahead of Marseille, stuck in third place by its defeat Saturday night in Lille (2-1).

With the two rivals each having a favorable end of the calendar (Brest and Ajaccio for Marseille, Ajaccio and Auxerre for Lens), the lead of Lens, who have lost only one of their last 13 games, is more than solid.

The Blood and Gold even allow themselves to maintain a semblance of pressure on Paris SG, which is only three lengths ahead and will not be able to validate its title in the evening in Auxerre.

Beaten 5-2 at the Bollaert stadium in the first leg, Lorient, who remained on two victories -- including a 3-1 in Paris -- and a draw in Montpellier, nevertheless resisted well.

As if that were too easy, Lens seems to have chosen to leave with a handicap now. A red card and a penalty conceded last week against Reims, a goal gag in the first minutes at Le Moustoir.

Thus, Romain Faivre took advantage of an insecure touch back from Facundo Medina to steal the ball from Brice Samba and adjust a cross strike into the empty goal (1-0, 6th).

The match could then begin, and the Lensois quietly start the siege of the Lorient surface to reverse the score in five minutes.

Lorient's Enzo Le Fée (l) against Lensois Facundo Medina (r), on May 21, 2023 in Lorient © JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER /

First on a relaunch of Yvon Mvogo intercepted in midfield: served in the axis by Seko Fofana, Florian Sotoca tried a powerful and framed strike, unintentionally deflected by Vincent Le Goff for the first goal of the Lensois striker since October (1-1, 20th).

Fofana concludes

Then on a series of fumbles of the Lorient defense concluded by a short recovery attempt by Gédéon Kalulu intercepted by Adrien Thomasson just in front of the goal (1-2, 25th).

Cornered in their half of the field, the Merlus first tried to react with some counter-attacks quickly led but well contained by the defense of Lens, or with a powerful strike almost framed by Laurent Abergel, intelligently shifted by Faivre (54th).

The Lensois Seko Fofana (r) ahead of the Lorientais Jean-Victor Makengo, on May 21, 2023 in Lorient © JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER /

Pushed by a full stadium -- the ninth sold-out game of a season far more exciting for Breton fans than in previous years --, Régis Le Bris' men gradually increased the pressure in the Lense camp.

They even almost equalized on a header from Ibrahima Koné that Samba narrowly blocked on his line (84th). And Lens responded illico when Alexis Claude-Maurice let pass a center of Angelo Fulgini: tumbling behind, Seko Fofana concluded with a strike from the right (1-3, 87th).

Passed by the training center of Lorient, the powerful midfielder had refused to sign his first professional contract, preferring to fly at 17 years old for Manchester City. Now captain in the jersey of Lens, he is about to lead his own in the Champions League.

© 2023 AFP