Above their opponent for more than an hour, RC Lens played a little scary game at the end of the game but managed to score their first success at the start of this 2022-2023 elite season. . Discover our tops and flops of this meeting of the first day of Ligue 1.
The tops
A first for twelve years
Author of the first hat-trick of his professional career, Florian Sotoca thrilled an entire people and sent his team on the path to success. Logically released under a standing ovation from Bollaert, the Narbonnais above all put an end to a series which had lasted for a little over twelve years. Indeed, the last hat-trick of an RC Lens player dates back to April 10, 2010. At the time promoted to Ligue 1, the Lensois could count on three goals from Toifilou Maoulida to offer themselves a success at home against Boulogne-sur -Wed (3-0).
Recruits already integrated
The three new players present at the kick-off most certainly proved the Lensois leaders right to go get them during the summer. If he conceded two goals, Brice Samba was not lucky with a deflected shot and a penalty conceded when he was initially stopped. Enough to frustrate a goalkeeper who was very authoritarian, precious in the air, on his line but also on the restart. In midfield, Salis Abdul Samed ideally compensated for the offensive activity of Seko Fofana by recovering a lot of balls, while the stainless Loïs Openda very seriously animated an attacking front which long wore out the Brest defense. Very promising for the future!
Executives who respond
If the recruits were logically expected at the turn after a successful preparation, the executives also knew how to get to the level of an official Ligue 1 meeting. Whether it was Seko Fofana, Florian Sotoca, Jonathan Gradit or even Przemyslaw Frankowski, all were engines in the success of this first meeting of the season. If the prize necessarily goes to Sotoca, author of the three goals, it would be too easy to forget the very many ball breakthroughs at the foot of Gradit, the physical impact in the midfield of Fofana or the many combinations on the right side during which Frankowski was involved, bringing many hot situations including a goal.
Les flops
Two unfortunate goals
While everything seemed set for an easy victory, a tiny deviation changed the game. Wanting to defend, Kevin Danso conceded a largely avoidable first goal by deflecting a Belkebla shot into his own net. A few minutes later, he was guilty of a fault in the area which revived a little more suspense. Never really in danger, RC Lens nevertheless played to scare each other with two more than regrettable goals. A real point of work for the rest of the season.
A defense not always serene
Overall in control, the rearguard of the “Blood and Gold” however sent some less than ideal signals during certain sequences. Faced with the liveliness on the corridors – in particular of Franck Honorat – and Cardona’s ability to move, Kevin Danso, Facundo Medina and Jonathan Gradit were put in difficulty and did not really see serene on the rare attack sequences of the Brestois . This was even more affirmed in the end of the match with a knife with many risky raises, checks that were difficult to achieve and a few avoidable faults.
