Lens fans turn their backs on the team, then lose 1-2 at home to Marseille

A boycott before kickoff

Lens hosted Marseille at Bollaert on Sunday, 8 November, four days after losing 1-9 at home to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday, 4 November. Supporters greeted the players with whistles during the warm-up and kept their backs turned during the opening minutes, a silence reports put at nine or ten minutes. The protest began while the club's song La Lensoise was being played, before the first whistle. One of the banners in the Marek stand read "You are the shame of 120 years of history", and it was still hanging when the first goal went in. Other messages referred to the earlier 0-1 derby defeat at Lille and to the Como result, with one banner saying the derby was for shame and Como for humiliation.

A goal after 85 seconds

Samson Baidoo let a back pass from Jonathan Gradit run past him, and Amine Gouiri slipped in to score into an empty net. A later update puts the goal at 85 seconds, while an earlier version gave 82 seconds. Florian Thauvin, Lens's captain, levelled in the 20th minute, having missed the previous two matches against Lille and Como. Thorgan Hazard started for Lens and was replaced in the 69th minute with the score at 1-1. Keyliane Abdallah, a substitute who had come on four minutes earlier, scored the winner in the 82nd minute. Ivanovic, on loan from Benfica, did not play after suffering an injury.

Missed chances and a late collapse

Lens had one of the best chances of the first half just before the break, when Marseille's Igor Paixao gave the ball away at the edge of the Marseille box to Yacine Titraoui. Marseille then took over the match, pressing hard late in the first half and camping in the Lens half after the restart, while the home side looked pinned back and technically imprecise. A Gouiri effort off his toe struck the top of the crossbar as Marseille came close to restoring their lead. Lens found more accuracy in the last 20 minutes but could not turn it into a goal. The home side paid for its early error and its late inability to find an equalizer.

Fans, banners and the response

The banners were not only aimed at the players. One addressed sporting director Jean-Louis Leca over the L'Equipe interview he gave to explain the heavy defeat, saying supporters had expected apologies instead. Lens's Florian Sotoca addressed the anger after the match, telling Ligue 1+ that:

“We understand them completely. We know we have to respect this shirt, and especially here, with this club's values.”

He added that Lens had not respected that on Wednesday and that, when a team concedes nine goals, a reaction from supporters is expected. The match ended with another banner, "Honte à vous" (Shame on you), displayed as the players went to salute the crowd after the defeat.

Standings after a third straight defeat

Marseille, winning their fifth consecutive league match, moved up to fourth with 18 points. Lens, beaten for the third consecutive time, slipped to 11th with 13 points. The 1-9 Champions League loss to Como at Bollaert remains the reference point for supporters, who returned to it in their banners. The table now shows a club whose form has fallen sharply in a short period.

Marseille18

Lens13

Marseille

18 points

Lens

13 points

Data from the article text