RC Lens beat Olympique Lyonnais 2-1 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis to give Yannick Cahuzac his first win as head coach and hand second-placed Lyon their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season.
Match facts
- Result: RC Lens 2-1 Olympique Lyonnais (half-time 1-0)
- Competition: Ligue 1, Matchday 6
- Venue: Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens
- Scorers: Lens - Sotoca 36', Udol 76'; Lyon - Merah 85'
- Red cards: Matthieu Udol (Lens) 83'
- Next: RC Lens host Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday; Olympique Lyonnais continue their Ligue 1 campaign
How the match unfolded
Cahuzac started Florian Sotoca for the first time this season, and the veteran forward almost rewarded that faith early. In the 12th minute Sotoca turned a deflected cross goalwards and forced Dominik Greif into a sharp save.
Lens kept pressing after the international break. Sotoca lashed a half-volley over, Jonathan Gradit headed wide from a corner, and the home crowd sensed an opening. It arrived in the 36th minute: Sotoca chested down Florian Thauvin's floated cross, swivelled and drove low past Greif for 1-0 — his second goal in as many games against Lyon.
Greif then tipped Thauvin's left-foot shot over and denied Odsonne Édouard before the break. Lyon went in without a shot on target.
After the restart Pavel Sulc forced Robin Risser into a save, but Lens stayed on the front foot. Ruben Aguilar curled just wide. Loïs Openda was substituted injured around the hour after a challenge. With 14 minutes left Udol headed in Thauvin's free-kick to make it 2-0, scoring in successive matches.
Udol was sent off in the 83rd minute for a foul, and substitute Khalis Merah scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lyon moments afterwards to make it 2-1. Ten-man Lens held firm through five minutes of stoppage time, with Risser blocking a late effort.
What the win means
The result lifts Lens from 15th to seventh on seven points and ends a four-match winless run. It is Cahuzac's first victory in his second league game since taking over after Dino Toppmöller's dismissal. More than 38,000 fans saw Lens rediscover their bite at Bollaert-Delelis.
Lyon stay second on 11 points after an unbeaten start of five matches and missed a chance to go top. Lens turn quickly to Champions League football, hosting Sporting CP at Bollaert-Delelis on Tuesday at 18:45 UK.