Ligue 1: Contrasting fortunes for Newly Promoted Lens and Lorient

The 2019/20 domestic season in France was an eventful one as the French Football Federation curtailed both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 early and controversially awarded promotion to Lorient and Lens.

It’s All Sport To Me looks back at how the clubs achieved this and how they have adapted to the top-flight. 

Lorient and Lens gain promotion from Ligue 2 

Lorient claimed the Ligue 2 title by a single point ahead of Lens when the season was ended after 28 matches due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Photo: Lorient claim Ligue 2 title

They scored a league-high 45 goals with striker Yoanne Wissa netting 15 times and a run of nine victories in 10 matches proved pivotal as Christophe Pélissier’s men had lost four of five games before the season ended early. 

Lorient had strong home and away records, the second highest in both, earning 28 points at Stade du Moustoir and 23 points on the road. 

The team they beat to the title, Lens, saw their promotion bid underpinned by a run of one defeat in 18 games. 

Impressive home form, with their 30 points the best in the league form charts, included just one loss against a top-half team and claiming three points against Lorient. 

They were strong front runners in matches, netting the first goal 18 times but only being pegged back against Guingamp, Le Havre and Caen where they squandered eight points.

When they fell behind they came back eight times including comeback wins against Le Mans, Troyes and Orleans and late goals earning a point at Clermont Foot and Grenoble. 

Lorient struggle while Lens thrive in top-flight

In their last top-flight campaign, Lorient finished 18th with just 36 points and faced a relegation play-off with Troyes. 

The first leg saw them concede an injury-time winner to lose 2-1 and they were not able to produce a comeback in the return match, confirming their relegation. 

This season sees them currently sit in the same position, only out of the automatic relegation places by virtue of goals scored having won three matches and conceded 31 goals, the second-most in the league. 

After beating Strasbourg on the opening day they failed to claim maximum points in the next five matches including a home defeat against Lens. 

Finally winning again at Reims, they went six games without scoring before a much-needed victory over Nimes but they will have to improve if they have any chance of survival. 

For Lens, they are under new management after departing with the services of Philippe Montanier in February 2020 and appointed B team coach Franck Haise who has won 10 of his 18 matches in his first head coach role. 

Haise has impressed with Lens currently seventh, just four points off the Champions League places after a strong start following an opening day defeat at Nice. 

They bounced back to shock Paris Saint-Germain as they won four of their next five matches before a disappointing 4-0 loss at Lille but secured an improbable point against Reims when Florian Sotoca scored twice in injury-time. 

Photo: Lens beating PSG

Recently they have been inconsistent, alternating between victory and defeat in their last six outings, but upcoming encounters against Lyon and Marseille will tell us whether they have enough to challenge for Europe.