The lights return at Bollaert on Friday night, with Lens looking for a way out of trouble and Lyon arriving as one of Ligue 1’s unbeaten sides. The restart comes after a three-week international break, and the contrast in confidence could hardly be sharper.
Lens, 15th in the table, host second-placed Lyon at 20:45. The home side need points to move further clear of the relegation zone, while OL are trying to protect an unbeaten league record despite a disrupted build-up.
Quick facts
- Lens host Lyon at Stade Bollaert on Friday, with kick-off at 20:45.
- Lens are 15th in Ligue 1; Lyon are second.
- Lyon defender Moussa Niakhaté has a hamstring injury after leaving the Senegal squad.
- Nicolas Tagliafico returned late from Argentina duty following the match against Benin.
- Zachary Athekame, Pavel Sulc and Dominik Greif are also expected to begin among the substitutes after playing internationals on Tuesday.
- Lens beat Standard Liège 2-0 in a friendly, with Florian Thauvin scoring once and creating another goal.
Paulo Fonseca will have to reshape his defence after Niakhaté’s injury. The Senegal captain was forced to leave international duty with a hamstring problem, removing Lyon’s usual central defender from contention.
Tagliafico is also unlikely to be ready from the start after his late return from international football. Athekame, Sulc and Greif each played on Tuesday for Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia respectively, leaving them in line for places on the bench.
Lyon’s sizeable international contingent also meant there was no opportunity to arrange a friendly during the break. Lens had no such restriction and used the pause to beat Standard Liège 2-0.
Florian Thauvin, the Lens captain, was central to that win, registering a goal and an assist. It offered Yannick Cahuzac’s side a useful lift before a fixture in which a result could both ease relegation concerns and deliver his first victory in charge.
