L1: un triplé d’Openda permet à Lens de surclasser Toulouse

Thanks to a hat-trick from Loïs Openda in the second half, Lens consolidated second place by gaining another victory in its Bollaert-Delelis cauldron against Toulouse (3-0), on Friday at the start of the 13th day of L1 .

Coming on in the 56th minute, the 22-year-old Belgian delighted the crowd by scoring three goals (60, 86, 90 + 2) to bow out a promoted Toulouse player who, however, did not deserve it.

For their fourteenth consecutive sold-out home game, Sang et Or thanked their supporters by continuing their impressive clean sheet with a seventh win in seven games this season.

RCL, who even allowed themselves the luxury of missing a penalty, nevertheless had difficulty in tightening the blocking of + Téfécé +, very well organized and dangerous on the counter. But Openda, who hadn’t scored since the 6th match, didn’t give him any chance…

After this ninth success of the season, Lens, who are making the best start in their history, already have 30 points and have consolidated their place as runners-up to Paris SG, who are at the top of L1 with 32 points in hour. before taking on Troyes on Saturday (5pm).

Promoted Toulouse remain in mid-table with 16 points (10th), but still have two tricky games before the break against Monaco and Rennes.

Lens confiscated the incoming ball and the first opportunity was logically artesian with a rush by David Pereira Da Costa, who served in the entrance of the area Seko Fofana, whose shot flew into the stands (7).

In the next, even more honest turn, RCL failed to make a quick transition after a Toulouse corner: Da Costa moved Fofana, who stretched for Przemyslaw Frankowski, whose cross was caught by the Ivorian who fired alone out (13).

The winning workout

If the Blood and Gold were in control of operations, however, it took two saves in the area from Deiver Machado against Brecht Dejaegere (28), then Jonathan Gradit’s ghost against Zakaria Aboukhal (33) to prevent the Violets from opening the scoring against the flow of the game.

Returning from the dressing room, Lens missed the chance to take control when Fofana saw his penalty, taken seconds earlier by Pereira Da Costa, be pushed by Dupé (50).

Franck Haise then started Openda and Florian Sotoca, two regular starters he had left on the bench, to reinvigorate his team. And his training soon paid off!

After several double passes, the former Grenoble player delivered a runaway cross which was won by the Belgian international (1-0, 60th).

Openda then took advantage of a poor pass from Toulouse to slot past Anthony Rouault to seal the win for Lensoise (2-0, 86), before sparking Bollaert to give himself a hat-trick with a fine strike cross (90 + 2 ) .

nb/hpa

Lensois David Da Costa (r) in the fight with Toulouse’s Stijn Spierings on October 28, 2022 in Lens
• FRANCOIS LO PRESTI

Lois Openda during the match against Toulouse, October 28, 2022 in Lens
• FRANCOIS LO PRESTI