Both teams opened the game with a great energy and determination. Still, as time passed, the rhythm dropped more and more, and in the end nothing but a goalless draw would have been a fair result. Lyon was much closer to breaking the deadlock. Gift Orban’s two goals were disallowed due offsides – first in the tenth, and then in the 57th minute. Those were the only notable moments of the clash, which initially guaranteed a much more exciting display.Lens and Lyon finished only two points apart last season, and ahead of this clash, Les Gones were already four points behind, thanks to their poor spell at the start of the season. Pierre Sage’s team noted only one victory—a hard-won 4-3 triumph over Strasbourg in the previous round. The situation with Lens was completely opposite. Le Sang et Or were undefeated, sitting in fifth spot with seven points, after two clean-sheet wins over Angers and Brest, and a 1-1 draw with Monaco at Stade Louis II.##NAJAVA_MECA_8333936##Ten minutes into the game, Lyon’s opener was disallowed due to offside. Alexandre Lacazette could have attempted himself, but instead, he tried to pass to Gift Orban, who was in an “illegal position.” The match was open from the start, with both rivals playing “with their guards down.” Still, neither team could have initially found a way to outsmart the opponents. The Brazilian Abner threatened after 27 minutes, but Lens’ custodian Brice Samba stopped his attempt from left flank.Dembele scores a brace in PSG’s comeback winUnlike the tenth-minute situation, Lacazette received Abner’s pass just inside the area and, this time, tried to finish it himself, unleashing a powerful strike, which Lens captain Samba superbly deflected. The home team’s first shot on target came through the full-back Deiver Machado, who tried from around 25 meters, making Lyon’s keeper Lucas Perri deflect the ball over the bar. Despite the dynamic and fighting game, the teams were levelled at the break – 0-0.The duel continued at practically the same pace as in the first half as Lyon kept attacking over Abner on the left flank, who caused a lot of troubles to Lens’ defence. In the 57th minute, Orban once more found the net, but just like 47 minutes earlier, he was offside and the goal was ruled out by VAR. The unlucky Nigerian left the pitch eight minutes later for Georges Mikautadze.Afterwards – as if the teams lost strength – the rhythm significantly dropped and the pace of the game was way calmer than until the 60th minute. We barely saw a sensible action until the end of the game, let alone a colossal chance or a notable attempt. As if both sides were ready to settle for a draw, they were more focused on defending the one point, than on winning all three. In the end, one point is what each team will get. In the next Ligue 1 round, Lens will travel to Rennes, whereas Lyon await Marseille in a derby.LIGUE 1 – MATCHDAY 4Friday Saint-Etienne – Lille 1-0 (1-0)/Cafaro 6/Saturday Olympique Marseille – Nice 2-0 (1-0)/Maupay 40, Henrique 53/Auxerre – Monaco 0-3 (0-2)/Kehrer 8, Vanderson 25, Zakaria 89/PSG – Brest 3-1 (1-1)/Dembele 42, 74, Ruiz 73 – Del Castillo 29 pen/Sunday Rennes – Montpellier 3-0 (2-0)/Blas 24, Kalimuendo 35, Gronbaek 60/Nantes – Reims 1-2 (1-1)/Augusto 28 – Munetsi 34, Nakamura 90+1/Strasbourg – Angers 1-1 (1-0)/Nanasi 31 – Dieng 62/Toulouse – Le Havre 2-0 (0-0)/Babicka 70, Gboho 86/Lens – Olympique Lyon 0-0
