{"id":11669,"date":"2023-10-07T04:24:10","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T04:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/lens-aim-to-build-on-memorable-champions-league-victory-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-10-07T04:24:10","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T04:24:10","slug":"lens-aim-to-build-on-memorable-champions-league-victory-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/lens-aim-to-build-on-memorable-champions-league-victory-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Lens aim to build on memorable Champions League victory | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nPARIS:
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After their stunning Champions League win over Arsenal<\/a>, Lens are looking to cap a memorable week with another victory when they return to domestic duty in France with a derby against bitter local rivals Lille.<\/p>\n

Lens marked their first home game in Europe’s elite club competition in over two decades with a magnificent comeback to beat much-fancied Arsenal 2-1 on Tuesday before a raucous sell-out crowd of over 38,000.<\/p>\n

Hardly any of the Lens players had appeared in the Champions League<\/a> before this season and yet they recovered from falling behind early on against one of England’s heavyweights to win with goals from Adrien Thomasson and Elye Wahi.<\/p>\n

“It was one of the most memorable matches of my time at Lens,” said manager Franck Haise, who had limited coaching experience when he took over the team in Ligue 2 just three years ago.<\/p>\n

Last season he took them to second place in Ligue 1 behind champions Paris Saint-Germain, and their home form was central to their success — they won 17 and drew one of 19 games at their imposing Stade Bollaert-Delelis.<\/p>\n

The fervour that the team generates among the people of Lens and the surrounding region is almost unique in France and Haise credited the club’s supporters with playing a central role against Arsenal.<\/p>\n

“The fans helped us go above and beyond and we did the same for them. When we have a symbiotic relationship like that it can make for a memorable night,” he said.<\/p>\n

The atmosphere in Lens was not unlike that in Newcastle a day later, when the home team thrashed PSG 4-1 on a miserable night for France’s dominant club.<\/p>\n

While PSG were left to do more soul-searching following a poor result in Europe, Lens have given themselves a great chance of getting beyond the group stage.<\/p>\n

Their matchwinner against Arsenal was 20-year-old striker Wahi, signed for a club-record 35 million euros ($36.8m) from Montpellier in August.<\/p>\n

Wahi was recruited to replace last season’s top scorer Lois Openda, who left for RB Leipzig.<\/p>\n

Yet he and Lens both endured a difficult start — they took one point from their first five league games before a 1-1 draw at Sevilla in their Champions League opener provided a kickstart.<\/p>\n

Wahi got his first Lens goal in last week’s 1-0 victory at Strasbourg and followed that with a goal and an assist against Arsenal.<\/p>\n

“He is progressing with every match and every training session. He is making great strides,” said Haise, who described Wahi as “top class”.<\/p>\n

Wahi, also a target for West Ham United in the summer, can endear himself even more to the Lens support by scoring again when Lille make the short trip for the derby.<\/p>\n

PSG will look to bounce back from their midweek nightmare in Newcastle when they travel to Rennes, and Mbappe will be aiming to make a bigger impact than he managed in that Champions League horror show.<\/p>\n

The France superstar endured an evening to forget in England as PSG suffered their heaviest European loss since an infamous 6-1 hammering in Barcelona in March 2017.<\/p>\n

Mbappe remains PSG’s top scorer this season with eight goals but he has not found the net since coming off with an ankle injury against Marseille two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

3 – Lens have recorded three straight victories in all competitions after failing to win any of their first six outings this season<\/p>\n

8 – Lyon are on a run of eight league games without winning. They have not gone nine top-flight matches without winning since 1992<\/p>\n

4 – PSG’s defeat at Newcastle was the first time they had let in four goals in a game since February 2020<\/p>\n<\/div>\n