Trailing 2-1 at the start of added time, RC Lens showed character to overthrow Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic on Thursday September 10 and launch their Champions League adventure with a victory (3-2).
In numerical superiority since the first moments of the second period, the Sang et Or nevertheless conceded two goals from Danijel Sturm (51st, 88th). But they never gave up and after first coming back to the level thanks to Abdallah Sima (73rd, 1-1), they completely turned the game around in two minutes in added time thanks to a header from Florian Thauvin (90+1) and a beautiful strike from Ruben Aguilar (90+3).
Three years after starting their previous run in the Champions League with a draw in Seville (1-1), the Lensois this time took the three points: a success against an opponent within their reach which could prove valuable at the end of January, with a view to qualifying for the rest of the competition.
Carried by the superb entries at the hour mark of the experienced Ruben Aguilar (33 years old) and the very young Mezian Mesloub, without complexes despite his 16 years, the Artésiens were rewarded with their good second period, after a more delicate start.
Difficult first 30 minutes for RC Lens
Kyllian Antonio’s slip and Sturm’s first shot, too quick, after around twenty seconds of play set the tone for a difficult first 30 minutes for Lens. Feverish with the ball and hampered by the Czechs’ pressing, the Sang et Or struggled to hold the ball and contain the Czechs’ rapid transition play eleven against eleven.
For their debut in the Champions League, young central defenders Kyllian Antonio (18 years old) and Souleymane Sagnan (21 years old) were often too tender in the duels. But they were first well supplemented by their axis friend Ismaëlo Ganiou (21), who emerged victorious from several duels against the Slavia attackers, and by goalkeeper Robin Risser, valuable in closing the depth behind his defense (21st, 27th).
With the exception of a distant but blocked strike from Florian Thauvin (12th), the Lensois had to wait until the half-hour mark to prove dangerous in quick succession. But Abdallah Sima failed to control a good ball in the area (30th) and Jakub Markovic (32nd) deflected a header from Matthieu Udol from a corner.
Sima finds the fault
The Slavia attackers also lacked precision in the last move in the first half. But they corrected the situation as soon as they returned from the locker room. Two minutes after the exclusion of Mikulas Konecny, guilty of an anti-playing foul on Sima who was going on goal, Sturm won his duel against Antonio before curling his left shot into Risser’s top corner (51st).
Trailing, the Lensois took advantage of their numerical superiority to be more and more pressing around the opposing surface. After a good combination from the duo Aguilar and Mesloub on the right, they ended up finding the fault thanks to Sima, quicker than in the first period to send the ball into the back of the net 6 meters from the goal (72nd).
While the Sang et Or pushed to snatch victory, Sturm exploded the Fortuna Arena and its supporters (88th), who believed they had their first victory in the Champions League since 2007.
But Mesloub continued to provoke on his wing and sent a good cross for the head of Thauvin, who equalized with a header, before Aguilar offered a success as beautiful as it was improbable to Lensois who will not have been perfect in Prague, but who leave with the essential: the three points.
With AFP
