Lens-Paris: Act 2 at Bollaert
Join us to look ahead to Saturday's Ligue 1 encounter with RC Lens in northern France.
THE TABLE
Racing Club de Lens finished 2024 well with wins at Reims (0-2) and at home to Montpellier (2-0) before drawing with Auxerre at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps (2-2). They were beaten by Toulouse (0-1) for their first league game of the new year, but then defeated Le Havre (2-1) to move to 27 points from 17 games. They are 7th in the table and just a point off the European places.
Paris Saint-Germain picked up in 2025 where the left off in 2024. Following league wins over Lyon (3-1) and Monaco (2-4) in December, they defeated Lens (1-1, 3-4 on pens.) to progress in the Coupe de France. They started the new year in the best possible way by winning the Trophée des Champions against Monaco in Doha (1-0) and then defeated Saint-Etienne (2-1) in Ligue 1 before seeing off Espaly (4-2) to reach the Coupe de France last 16. Paris lead the Ligue 1 table with 43 points.
THE STATS
opposition strength
Will Still generally sets his team up in a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-2-3-1. With Brice Samba leaving for Rennes this winter, Hervé Koffi will start in goal. Kevin Danso is suspended while Abdukodir Khusanov looks likely to leave. This means Facundo Medina and Jonathan Gradit could start in central defence, ahead of Malang Sarr.
Poland international Przemyslaw Frankowski (3 goals, 2 assists in L1) will line up on the right side of the back four with Deiver Machado on the left as Jhoanner Chávez is injured. In midfield, Adrien Thomasson (2 goals, 1 assist) is an essential cog in the Blood & Gold machine, and he is set to be paired with France U21 international Andy Diouf in the absence of Neil El Aynaoui.
Former Angers man Angelo Fulgini (1 goal, 1 assist) should get the playmaker role, though the RCL staff could also have Portugal U21 international David Pereira da Costa available. In attack, young Rémy Labeau Lascary's serious knee injury in December has left Florian Sotoca to play on the right side, though the pacy M'Bala Nzola (4 goals, 1 assist), could be moved out wide from his usual central position.
Goduine Koyalipou has come in this winter and scored his first Ligue 1 goal on his debut last week and provides competition for Nzola in the centre-forward role, but Lens will be without the injured Martín Satriano and Wesley Saïd. On the left, Morocco international Anass Zaroury should start.
