Lens returned to winning ways in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 home victory over Le Havre, moving provisionally top on 46 points and increasing the pressure on PSG ahead of their trip to Strasbourg.
Lens kept their unexpected title push alive on Friday by returning to winning ways in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 home victory over Le Havre in the opening match of matchday 20, a result that immediately restored the pressure on Paris Saint-Germain and briefly lifted Lens clear at the top of the table.
The win mattered as much for the reaction as for the points. Coming off a 3-1 defeat away to Marseille in the previous round, Lens needed to show that setback would not become a wobble. Instead, they delivered a controlled performance, managed the key moments, and secured their 15th league victory of the season, a tally that already equals their total number of wins across the whole 2024/25 campaign. With this latest success, Lens moved onto 46 points, one ahead of PSG, who now have a clear response required when they travel to Strasbourg on Sunday.
In a match that did not offer many easy openings, Lens found the breakthrough at a decisive time. French defender Ruben Aguilar scored in first-half stoppage time, in the 45+1 minute, giving the home side a crucial advantage right before the interval. Goals just before half-time often reshape games, and this one allowed Lens to approach the second half with a very specific plan: protect the lead, control territory, and force Le Havre to take risks they would rather avoid. The fact that the winner came from a defender also reflected Lens’ collective strength this season, with contributions spread across the team rather than depending on a single attacking star.
Aguilar was also part of a heavily French Lens lineup, with nine French players named in the starting XI. That detail underlined the identity Lens have been leaning on throughout the campaign: cohesion, organization, and a strong domestic core that knows the league well and executes the tactical demands consistently. It is one of the reasons they have been able to keep pace at the top, turning difficult games into narrow but valuable wins.
Le Havre, meanwhile, leave Lens still stuck in 15th place with 20 points, and the manner of the goal conceded will be frustrating. Defending solidly for the majority of the first half only to switch off in stoppage time is exactly the kind of fine margin that can define the lower end of the table. Against a side as confident and structured as Lens, falling behind makes the task exponentially harder, because Lens are comfortable protecting a lead and managing the rhythm of the game.
From Lens’ perspective, the bigger story is the way they are building a credible title narrative week after week. This was not a glamorous, high-scoring statement win, but it was a classic contender performance: bounce back immediately after a loss, take the points, and move the pressure onto your main rival. PSG remain the benchmark, but Lens are forcing them to keep winning, because any slip is instantly punished at the top of the standings.
