With the 20th matchday of Ligue 1 unfolding, Nantes and Lens locked horns at the Stade de la Beaujoire, a captivating match that ended in Lens' favor with a 1-0 victory.
Game Summary
For Lens, the narrow win marked a consecutive success in the Ligue 1 matches, while Nantes continued to grapple with their series of unfortunate matches, taking their winless run to five games. The match wasn't without its fair share of controversy as it saw disputes over the referee's calls, including a controversial offside ruling that led to the dismissal of a goal.
First Half
Lens set the tone of the game early on with a powerful strike by Da Costa that rattled Lafont's bar. Nantes, on the other hand, came roaring back with repeated threats. Lens' goalkeeper, Samba, was tested multiple times by Kadewere and Mohamed. Kadewere seemed to have broken the deadlock in the 20th minute, only to have his goal ruled out for offside.
Second Half
As the second half began, Lens quickly seized the lead. Pereira da Costa, assisted by Medina, skillfully maneuvered around the Nantes defense and fired a left-footed shot into the net in the 48th minute. Not long after, Zézé from Nantes made a tackle on Da Costa, a play that surprisingly went unchecked by the VAR.
Despite their efforts, Nantes fell short of leveling the score. Lens maintained their lead, and even threatened to stretch it further. Wahi came close to adding a second goal to Lens' tally, however, he missed a few promising opportunities.
Post-match Standing
The 1-0 win allowed Lens to ascend the ladder, tying with Lille for the 5th place in the league rankings. The result spelled trouble for Nantes, who, sitting 13th in the league, face the risk of slipping into the relegation zone. This marks their fifth defeat in six matches, a streak they'd like to break sooner rather than later.