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Lens

Lens

Ligue 1

Season Statistics

23 MATCHES
PLAYED
Win (74%) Draw (4%) Loss (22%)
23 Played
17 Won
1 Drawn
5 Lost
44 Goals For
20 Goals Against

Team Overview

RC Lens continues to embody the passionate, working-class spirit of northern France, maintaining their reputation as one of Ligue 1's most committed and defensively astute sides. The club has historically punched above its weight despite limited resources, with their most notable achievement being their stunning 1998 Ligue 1 title triumph. In recent years, Lens has established themselves as a consistent mid-to-upper table presence, typically finishing between 6th and 10th position while occasionally threatening European qualification spots through their disciplined approach and tactical organization.

This campaign represents a remarkable transformation for Les Sang et Or, as their statistics reveal an exceptionally strong season that surpasses their usual expectations. With 17 victories from 23 matches and an impressive +24 goal difference, Lens has demonstrated both attacking potency and defensive solidity under Pierre Sage's guidance. Their home fortress at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis has been particularly formidable, collecting 30 points from 12 matches with just two defeats, while their away form of seven wins from eleven matches shows encouraging consistency across all venues.

The numbers tell the story of a well-balanced side that has found the perfect blend of defensive resilience and clinical finishing. Nine clean sheets highlight their organizational strength, while scoring 44 goals suggests they've developed a more potent attacking dimension than typically associated with Lens. Their ability to avoid draws, with just one stalemate all season, indicates a team that plays with intensity and commitment to win matches rather than settle for points. This combination of traditional Lens grit with enhanced attacking output has created one of their most impressive league campaigns in recent memory.

For a deeper dive into the numbers, see our Ligue 1 match preview.

Squad (29 players)

Goalkeepers (5)

A. Delplace
#50 A. Delplace
M. Gorgelin
#16 M. Gorgelin
R. Gurtner
#16 R. Gurtner
I. Jourdren
#60 I. Jourdren
R. Risser
#40 R. Risser

Defenders (8)

R. Aguilar
#2 R. Aguilar
K. Antonio
#32 K. Antonio
S. Baidoo
#6 S. Baidoo
N. Čelik
#4 N. Čelik
I. Ganiou
#25 I. Ganiou
J. Gradit
#24 J. Gradit
A. Masuaku
#27 A. Masuaku
M. Sarr
#20 M. Sarr

Midfielders (8)

Saud Abdulhamid
#23 Saud Abdulhamid
M. Udol
#14 M. Udol
A. Bulatović
#5 A. Bulatović
A. Haidara
#21 A. Haidara
M. Sangaré
#8 M. Sangaré
F. Sylla
#18 F. Sylla
A. Thomasson
#28 A. Thomasson
A. Bermont
#26 A. Bermont

Attackers (8)

O. Édouard
#11 O. Édouard
R. Fofana
#38 R. Fofana
Erawan Garnier
#34 Erawan Garnier
W. Saïd
#22 W. Saïd
A. Saint-Maximin
#9 A. Saint-Maximin
A. Sima
#19 A. Sima
F. Sotoca
#7 F. Sotoca
F. Thauvin
#10 F. Thauvin

Player Statistics

2025/26 Season
# Player Pos Rating Apps Goals Assists Mins Tackles Passes
14
M. Udol
M. Udol
DF 7.1 23 0 6 2058 33 872
10
F. Thauvin
F. Thauvin
FW 7.1 23 7 3 1839 18 828
40
R. Risser
R. Risser
GK 7.2 23 0 1 2070 0 627
22
W. Saïd
W. Saïd
FW 7.2 22 10 2 1546 16 530
28
A. Thomasson
A. Thomasson
MF 6.9 22 2 6 1922 63 978
20
M. Sarr
M. Sarr
DF 7.2 22 0 1 1980 46 1272
2
R. Aguilar
R. Aguilar
MF 7.0 21 2 2 1513 35 741
8
M. Sangaré
M. Sangaré
MF 7.1 20 1 2 1579 67 936
38
R. Fofana
R. Fofana
FW 6.8 19 5 0 642 10 116
11
O. Édouard
O. Édouard
FW 7.0 19 9 3 1199 9 197
6
S. Baidoo
S. Baidoo
DF 7.3 18 2 1 1545 27 889
7
F. Sotoca
F. Sotoca
FW 6.5 17 0 0 154 1 74
23
Saud Abdulhamid
Saud Abdulhamid
DF 6.8 16 0 2 658 20 283
19
A. Sima
A. Sima
FW 6.7 12 1 0 253 6 79
37
I. Ganiou
I. Ganiou
DF 7.1 12 2 0 1063 19 608
5
A. Bulatović
A. Bulatović
MF 6.6 11 0 1 496 24 215
24
J. Gradit
J. Gradit
DF 6.7 10 0 0 809 17 473
35
A. Bermont
A. Bermont
MF 6.6 7 0 0 83 0 60
9
A. Saint-Maximin
A. Saint-Maximin
FW 7.3 3 1 2 126 0 40
4
N. Čelik
N. Čelik
DF 6.7 2 0 0 180 8 90
33
F. Sylla
F. Sylla
MF 6.9 2 0 0 69 6 41
32
K. Antonio
K. Antonio
DF 7.3 2 0 0 120 4 53
21
A. Haidara
A. Haidara
MF 6.7 1 0 0 12 0 5
29
A. Masuaku
A. Masuaku
DF - 1 0 0 1 1 0

Recent Transfers

2024/25 & 2025/26

Arrivals (43)

A. Saint-Maximin
From Club America
Free agent Feb 2026
A. Masuaku
From Sunderland
Loan Jan 2026
M. Gorgelin
From Le Havre
Free agent Jan 2026
A. Haidara
From RB Leipzig
Transfer Dec 2025
Erawan Garnier
From Lyon II
Free agent Oct 2025
Showing 1-5 of 43

Departures (49)

J. Chávez
To Sparta Praha
Loan Feb 2026
H. Ojediran
To Colorado Rapids
Transfer Jan 2026
D. Machado
To Nantes
Transfer Dec 2025
G. Capuano
To Boulogne
Loan Sep 2025
A. Fulgini
To Al Taawoun
Loan Aug 2025
Showing 1-5 of 49

Injuries & Availability

4 Out 1 Doubtful
J. Gradit
J. Gradit Thigh Injury
Out
K. Antonio
K. Antonio Foot Injury
Out
M. Sangare
M. Sangare Hip Injury
Doubtful
R. Gurtner
R. Gurtner Muscle Injury
Out
S. Baidoo
S. Baidoo Muscle Injury
Out

Impact Analysis

Lens face significant disruption across multiple areas of their squad with five players currently unavailable, creating notable challenges for team selection and tactical flexibility. The defensive unit bears the heaviest burden with Jonathan Gradit's thigh injury removing a key center-back who has been instrumental in their defensive solidity this season. His absence forces tactical adjustments and places greater responsibility on the remaining central defenders to maintain their organizational structure.

The injury crisis extends beyond defense with Ruben Gurtner's muscle problem affecting goalkeeping options, while Massadio Sangare's hip injury impacts the midfield dynamics where his versatility and work rate have been valuable assets. Kevin Antonio's foot injury further compounds selection headaches, particularly given his contributions when called upon. Salis Baidoo's muscle injury adds to the mounting concerns, stretching squad depth at a crucial period. The concentration of injuries across different positions tests Lens' ability to maintain their tactical consistency and competitive edge. While the club possesses capable squad players ready to step up, the simultaneous absence of five contributors inevitably reduces rotation options and places additional pressure on the remaining fit players to maintain performance levels throughout a demanding fixture schedule.

Recent Form

LWWWW
L Monaco 2-3 (H)
W Paris FC 0-5 (A)
W Rennes 3-1 (H)
W Estac Troyes 2-4 (A)
W Le Havre 1-0 (H)

Form Analysis

Lens have demonstrated impressive attacking form over their last five fixtures, collecting four victories from five matches while finding the net with remarkable consistency. Their 15 goals scored across this period highlights a potent offensive unit that has been clinical in front of goal, averaging three goals per game. The standout performance came in their dominant 5-0 away victory against Paris FC, showcasing their ability to perform on the road with ruthless efficiency.

The solitary blemish in this strong run came against Monaco in a thrilling 3-2 home defeat, where despite scoring twice, defensive lapses proved costly against quality opposition. This match exemplifies a concerning trend in Lens's recent form - while their attacking output has been exceptional, they have conceded six goals across five matches, suggesting defensive vulnerability that opponents have managed to exploit. Their performances against varied opposition levels reveal a team capable of dismantling lower-tier sides convincingly, as seen in victories over Paris FC and Estac Troyes, while also competing effectively against established Ligue 1 sides like Rennes. The narrow 1-0 victory over Le Havre demonstrates they can also grind out results when required, indicating tactical flexibility and mental resilience within the squad.

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