European nights return to Bollaert on Tuesday, with Lens looking to turn a promising start into something more substantial against Sporting CP. The Sang et Or opened their Champions League league-phase campaign with a 3-2 win away to Slavia Prague and now face Portuguese opponents who also began with three points.
Sporting arrive in northern France sitting third in the Portuguese league and carrying the experience of regular Champions League football. Their opening 3-1 victory over Galatasaray required a response: Geny Catamo levelled in the 27th minute after the Lisbon side had fallen behind early, Luis Suarez converted a penalty in the 57th, and Rodrigo Salazar added the third six minutes later.
Salazar will not make the trip to Lens, however. The Sporting No. 10 suffered a thigh problem during the weekend match at Braga, depriving the visitors of a player who has already scored three goals this season.
Lens seek to build on Lyon response
Lens go into the game after a timely Ligue 1 win over Lyon, beating the visitors 2-1 to hand them their first league defeat of the season. The result was particularly valuable after an uneven opening stretch: it was only Lens’s third victory in all competitions from seven matches.
The performance against Lyon was not without turbulence. Mathieu Udol was sent off in the 84th minute, while Abdallah Sima missed the match with a thigh injury. Yet the collective display gave the home side encouragement before Europe returned.
Florian Thauvin and Florian Sotoca said after the Lyon victory that the squad had rediscovered the playing principles that defined the previous campaign. Under Yannick Cahuzac, Lens must now show that the renewed identity can stand up against a seasoned Champions League side in front of a full Bollaert.
