For the first time in over a decade, a bustling Stade Bollaert played host to Ligue 1 football. In 2014-15, the stadium was being renovated for Euro 2016, while last year only a small section of supporters were allowed in due to Covid-19 restrictions. Saint-Etienne were the right opponent for the celebration: another miners’ club who hold a mutual respect with Lens.
Franck Haise made three changes to the side that drew with Rennes: Facundo Medina and Jonathan Gradit returned to the defence after missing the opening match through suspension, while Florian Sotoca replaced Simon Banza in attack. They set up in their usual 3-4-1-2 formation.
Claude Puel also made three changes to the team that drew with Lorient. Out went Mickael Nade, Adil Aouchiche and Charles Abi, replaced by Saïdou Sow, Yvan Neyou and Romain Hamouma as Saint-Etienne switched from a 4-2-3-1 shape to a 4-3-3.
Saint-Etienne went ahead after just 18 seconds. They kicked the ball out for a throw-in from kick-off, only for Jonathan Clauss to throw it behind Christopher Wooh, allowing Hamouma to recover the ball and Wahbi Khazri to finish.
Going ahead so early allowed Saint-Etienne to drop off and defend their lead in a 4-5-1.
This meant Lens were handed control of the first half as they looked to make a breakthrough to get back onto level terms. Having three men against just one Saint-Etienne attacker, Lens found themselves able to get the ball forward easily. Gradit did his usual excellent job of carrying the ball into attack, while Lens also had some good rotations on the left flank: Sotoca would drop deep into midfield, while Seko Fofana would pull wide out to the touchline, allowing Deiver Machado to push forward into attack and often tuck inside into the centre.
Lens were also able to play through the centre. With the back three stretched wide, Khazri could often be pulled out towards the wide areas to defend, leaving Cheick Doucouré free to pick up the ball in the centre and slot a pass through to his teammates between the lines.
Lens would commit a lot of players to the attack, overloading Saint-Etienne’s defence. Fofana would push up to join Gaël Kakuta between the lines, while Sotoca would drop off too, meaning there was four men, including Ignatius Ganago leading the line, in the centre against Saint Etienne’s back four. Add to that Machado and Clauss out wide and Saint-Etienne’s backline could be easily left stretched.
With those three men between the lines and Doucouré capable of finding them with a pass to feet, Lens were able to play through with quick passing combinations through the centre, but they could just as easily go wide and try to pull Saint-Etienne’s defenders away from the centre, opening up gaps for the forwards to attack.
It was from one of these crosses that Lens got their equaliser. They spread the ball out to Clauss on the right to cross and Ganago found the net with a flicked header, given space thanks to Sotoca’s run to occupy Harold Moukoudi.
Saint-Etienne retook the lead shortly into the second half though. Khazri dropping off from the frontline into midfield at a throw-in caused a mix-up in Lens’ marking. Fofana had been marking Mahdi Camara, Doucouré had Timothée Kolodziejczak and Clauss was on Denis Bouanga, but Khazri dropping in behind Fofana and showing for the ball caused the Ivorian to leave Camara and move back infield, opening up a pass into Camara that forced Doucouré inside to cover. Camara then turned on the ball to evade Doucouré’s pressure and played wide to the now open Kolodziejczak, causing Clauss to step out to close him down, with Gradit now keeping an eye on Bouanga. With Camara making a run in behind Doucouré though, Gradit moved across to cut him off, only for Kolodziejczak to play a pass down the line into the space behind Gradit for Bouanga, forcing Wooh across to cover. The Gabonese picked up the ball, cut inside and lashed a shot home at the near post.
Lens again got back on even terms by overloading Saint-Etienne’s backline though. Kakuta dropped back and picked out a pass towards the back post, where substitute Przemyslaw Frankowski and Fofana were doubling up on Yvann Maçon. Frankowski picked up the deflected pass, drawing Maçon out then squared to Fofana to finish first-time, squeezing it in at the near post with his weaker left foot.
Puel threw on a load of attackers – Arnaud Nordin, Maxence Rivera and Aouchiche all introduced – however there was no real push for a further goal as the teams settled for a draw.
It was a deserved result. Lens had dominated most of the match, committing lots of players to the attack, but that was in large part because Saint-Etienne got their leads quickly and so were no longer in need of a goal. Both teams remain both winless and undefeated to start the season.
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