Gessime Yassine scores twice as Strasbourg beat Lens 2-1 in Ligue 1
Gessime Yassine scored a second-half brace to guide Strasbourg to a 2-1 home comeback victory over Lens at Stade de la Meinau, securing manager Hugo Oliveira his first win.
Penalty gives Lens the first-half lead
RC Strasbourg earned a 2-1 home victory over RC Lens on Saturday during the second round of the Ligue 1 season at Stade de la Meinau. The result marked the first win for Strasbourg manager Hugo Oliveira at the club, following an opening-weekend 4-0 defeat against Olympique de Marseille. Lens entered the match under head coach Dino Toppmoeller aiming for a third straight victory across all competitions, having defeated Auxerre on the opening matchday and secured the Champions Trophy against Paris Saint-Germain.
Lens created their opening breakthrough late in the first half after earning a penalty ten minutes before the interval. Strasbourg defender Jeyland Mitchell committed a foul on forward Abdallah Sima inside the penalty area. Florian Thauvin converted the spot kick in the 38th minute, placing the ball into the corner to reach 100 career goals in Ligue 1. Thauvin continued a run of scoring form that included two goals against Auxerre and the winning strike against Paris Saint-Germain. Lens, who started Franjo Ivanovic in attack, maintained their 1-0 advantage through the remainder of the first half.
Yassine levels and Ortega goal disallowed
Strasbourg started the match with goalkeeper Diogo Sousa in the lineup and generated an immediate response following the half-time break. Moroccan international Gessime Yassine scored his first goal for the club in the 48th minute, less than three minutes into the second half. Yassine received a pass from Sebastian Nanasi before sending a deflected strike past the Lens goalkeeper to level the match at 1-1.
The home side appeared to complete a comeback eight minutes later in the 56th minute when Jacobo Ortega scored with a close-range header. The goal was ruled out following a lengthy video assistant referee review for offside, keeping the score level. Strasbourg sustained offensive pressure throughout the second half, with Nanasi repeatedly providing service into the penalty area from wide positions.
Late volley seals three points for Strasbourg
Strasbourg completed the turnaround in the 85th minute when Nanasi sent a cross toward the back post. The 20-year-old Yassine met the delivery and volleyed the ball into the net to score his second goal of the afternoon. Lens reacted immediately to find an equalizer in the closing stages, but Matthieu Udol saw his header rebound off the goalpost.
- Florian Thauvin converts a penalty for Lens to score his 100th Ligue 1 goal.
- Gessime Yassine scores a deflected equalizer for Strasbourg from a Sebastian Nanasi pass.
- Jacobo Ortega's header for Strasbourg is disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
- Gessime Yassine volleys home Sebastian Nanasi's cross to give Strasbourg a 2-1 lead.
The 2-1 outcome moves Strasbourg up to sixth place in the Ligue 1 standings with three points from their opening two fixtures. Lens also hold three points from two matches, sitting in third place by virtue of a superior goal difference. Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Lille hold top spot in the table despite conceding two stoppage-time goals on Friday to draw 2-2 with Paris Saint-Germain.
