Lens bounced back from a heavy European defeat by claiming their third consecutive Ligue 1 victory, fighting back to secure a 2-1 win over Liam Rosenior’s in-form Paris FC and deny the visitors the chance to move to the top of the table.

Playing in wet and windy conditions, both teams struggled to establish control during the opening minutes. Lens enjoyed the majority of possession, while Paris FC looked dangerous on the counterattack.

Paris FC goalkeeper Obed Nkambadio appeared unsettled early on, but Lens failed to capitalise on a misunderstanding with his defenders and a misplaced pass that almost allowed Franjo Ivanovic to break through one-on-one with the shot-stopper.

As the game settled, Florian Thauvin delivered a free-kick that appeared to strike the hand of Diego Coppola as the defender challenged for the ball. However, after reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor, referee Mathieu Vernice decided the contact was insufficient to award a penalty.

Lens quickly put the disappointment behind them, with Florian Sotoca forcing an outstanding save from Nkambadio with a powerful diving header.

However, the Blood and Gold were caught off guard just before half-time, conceding with the first shot on target of the opening period. In the second minute of stoppage time, Luca Koleosho collected a pass from Lassine Sinayoko before calmly slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner past Robin Risser to register his first goal of the season.

Lens received a major reprieve shortly after the restart when Jean-Clair Todibo was initially sent off for bringing down Ilan Kabbal as the last defender. However, VAR intervened once again, overturning the red card after identifying a marginal offside in the build-up.

Kabbal then missed a golden opportunity to extend Paris FC’s advantage. Unable to connect with Emmanuel Mbemba’s low cross, he eventually sent his effort well over the Lens crossbar.

Paris FC were left to regret that missed chance as Florian Thauvin marked his 300th Ligue 1 appearance with a superb equaliser. Cutting inside from the right wing, the Frenchman produced a perfectly placed finish beyond Obed Nkambadio to bring Lens level.

Inspired by Thauvin’s goal, Lens increased the pressure on Les Bleus and continued to dominate possession.

Their persistence eventually paid off, with Thauvin once again playing a decisive role. The Lens forward delivered an excellent cross into the Paris FC penalty area, where Thorgan Hazard controlled the ball on his chest before finishing confidently with his left foot to complete the comeback and secure all three points for Yannick Cahuzac’s side.

The victory marked Lens’ fifth consecutive head-to-head win over Paris FC and lifted them to sixth place in the Ligue 1 standings, just one point behind their opponents. Meanwhile, Paris FC suffered only their second league defeat of the season.