Lens dominate to regain Ligue 1 summit, Marseille falter late
On Saturday, Lens surged back to the top of Ligue 1 with a 5-0 demolition of Paris FC fuelled by Wesley Said, while Marseille endured a draw against Strasbourg after conceding a penalty in the closing stages.
This marked their third straight league win, and with Paris Saint-Germain having lost 3-1 to Rennes the previous day, Pierre Sage's team now leads the champions by one point.
Said and Rayan Fofana each scored twice, flanking a Florian Thauvin spot-kick, lifting Lens to 52 points as Paris FC, who are battling relegation, stay in 15th, eight points clear of the drop zone.
"Whenever the chance arises, we will push hard to claim first position and hold onto it," Thauvin said to L1+.
"We realise it will be tough, with many games still to play... We are staying grounded. We press on."
Lens attacked fiercely from the start at Stade Jean-Bouin, with Said striking the upright and Thauvin seeing a goal ruled out for offside within the first 15 minutes.
However, they soon broke through when Odsonne Edouard set up Said for the opener in the 24th minute.
Edouard was flagged offside shortly after, but Said made it 2-0 seven minutes from half-time with a superb volley into the top corner after a smooth team build-up.
The 2018 World Cup victor Thauvin sealed the victory near the hour mark by converting a penalty after Otavio tripped Saud Abdulhamid.
In added time, Fofana and substitute Allan Saint-Maximin, replacing Edouard and Said, linked up to score twice more and pile misery on Paris FC.
Struggling a lot
Marseille kicked off the post-Roberto De Zerbi era with a 2-2 draw at home to Strasbourg, despite holding a two-goal lead late in the second half.
The Italian manager departed the club midweek after a humiliating 5-0 defeat to rivals PSG the previous Sunday.
Strikes from Mason Greenwood and Amine Gouiri appeared to secure a crucial win for caretaker coach Jacques Abardonado.
Yet Sebastian Nanasi's goal in the second half sparked tension, and Joaquin Panichelli slotted away a penalty right at the end of injury time.
This slip left Marseille in fourth, 11 points adrift of the leaders.
"This is turning into a pattern. It echoes the Paris FC match, where we led 2-0 and gave away a penalty late on," Abardonado commented.
"The squad might not be broken, but it is facing real difficulties. When these issues repeat, it gets hard."
The result saw Gary O'Neil's Strasbourg hold seventh on 31 points.
With many seats vacant due to protesting fans delaying their entry until the 15th minute, Marseille went ahead in a quiet stadium as Greenwood sped past Andrew Omobamidele and chipped the keeper.
Strasbourg controlled much of the first half but could not penetrate Marseille's defence.
Early in the second half, Abardonado's players hit back swiftly, Gouiri netting his fifth league goal of the season two minutes after the restart.
The visitors kept possession dominance, and with no goals coming, O'Neil introduced substitutes.
Nanasi entered just past the hour and scored in the 73rd minute following neat play on the flank from Martial Godo.
Marseille seemed poised to clinch victory until Emerson Palmieri fouled substitute Gessime Yassine during a clearance attempt, prompting the referee to award a penalty deep into stoppage time.
Panichelli calmly converted from the spot in the 97th minute, salvaging a point for Strasbourg at the Velodrome.
Lille rose to fifth, six points behind Marseille, after drawing 1-1 at home with Brest, where Gaetan Perrin equalised in the 71st minute for the hosts following Remy Labeau-Lascary's earlier second-half opener for the Bretons.