Lens routs Paris FC 5-0 to go top of Ligue 1
Marseille was widely expected to be Paris Saint-Germain’s main challenger in Ligue 1 this season, but Lens is the team to be reckoned with. oach Pierre Sage’s unassuming side moved one point ahead of PSG at the top after a crushing 5-0 win at struggling Paris FC, which was promoted last season but is in 16th spot despite big investment.
While Lens celebrated another clinical performance, Marseille’s chaotic week continued with an equaliser conceded deep into stoppage time in 2-2 home draw with Strasbourg. Marseille is 12 points behind Lens with 12 games left. Lens marches on: Unheralded Lens has won just one league title compared to nine for Marseille and a record 13 for PSG, and has no big-name stars.
Instead, Lens boasts efficient teamwork, self-sacrifice, slick counter-attacking and clinical finishing. Wesley Said is not a household name, other than perhaps in the former coal-mining community of Lens, but the journeyman forward is peaking at the right time. He scored twice to reach 10 league goals for the first time in a season. He opened the scoring from a cross in the 24th minute and then found the top-left corner with a firm shot from another cross in the 38th.
Said hit the post and Lens had two goals disallowed for offside in the first half. The domination continued after the break with France winger Florian Thauvin scoring a penalty before substitute forward Rayan Fofana netted twice late on. Marseille collapses again: Marseille led 2-0 after Amine Gouiri created one goal and scored the other. But Marseille’s feeble defense fell apart and striker Joaquin Panichelli’s rescued a point with a 97th-minute penalty.
“Once again we conceded a late goal (and) we wasted everything at the end,” Gouiri said. “When things happen a dozen times, it’s not the (tactical) choices of the coach, it’s us on the field.”
Fourth-placed Marseille is two points behind Lyon in third, having played one game more. Fifth-placed Lille missed the chance to close the gap on Marseille after drawing 1-1 with Brest. Lille still has not won a league game in 2026.Marseille’s players were reeling from Roberto De Zerbi’s departure on Wednesday, just days after a humiliating 5-0 loss at PSG. The atmosphere was tense at Stade Velodrome.
Both stands behind the goal were empty except for angry banners, with one urging American owner Frank McCourt and president Pablo Longoria in blunt terms to leave, along with the words “all of your projects go up in smoke! After all these wasted years.” Nine-time French champion Marseille has not won a trophy since the now-defunct League Cup in 2012. The fans who did turn up on Saturday booed the players onto the field.
Gouiri set up Mason Greenwood’s league-leading 14th goal of the season in the 14th minute. He neatly controlled the ball near the penalty with the outside of his foot and played a pass behind the defense for Greenwood to clip the ball in.
Gouiri curled in Marseille’s second goal in the 47th after collecting a botched clearance from goalkeeper Mike Penders. Sebastian Nanasi replied in the 74th before Marseille defender Emerson Palmieri clumsily gave away a penalty. Defending champion PSG lost 3-1 at Rennes for its third defeat of the campaign, one more than all of last season.
