Sochaux 1-2 Racing Club de Lens: Lionceaux Tamed As Guests Strike Gold

Racing Club de Lens have won their first Ligue 1 fixture since August 23, defeating Sochaux 2-1 at Stade Bonal in eastern France.

Playing largely off the back foot, the visiting side struck late in each half, with Romain Sartre and Abdoulrazak Boukari scoring the decisive goals. Substitute Sloan Privat replied for a disappointing home side in stoppage time.

Still suffering a hangover from their heavy 4-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, it took the home side to get going in this encounter, but they would fashion the better chances of the early part of the game.

Visiting custodian Vedran Runje had to look lively to deny Yassin Mikari after only 12 minutes. The left winger steadied himself before shooting goalwards with the right foot, but the Croatian goalkeeper made a commendable save.

By this stage les Lionceaux were impressing a great deal, with Vaclav Sverkos and Nicolas Maurice-Belay soon testing the visiting custodian too. The pressure was all flowing one way, though it would have to be said this was not the most captivating of encounters. An effort from Ryad Boudebouz kept Runje on his toes, but the ball was at a kind height for the goalkeeper.

Lens had shown little as an attacking force by Eduardo sent out a warning shot to their hosts ten minutes before half-time, scything through the left side of the home defence before getting his final shot all wrong.

Despite having failed to register a shot on target in the opening 35 minutes, Lens would take the lead. The goal was rather fitting of their performance as a free kick from Sebastien Roudet received the slightest of touches from Sartre to take the ball away from Teddy Richert, who had only had to gather a couple of dangerous crosses previously, and into the net.

If anything, Lens would have the best of the remainder of the first half, but by the time the second period commenced, Sochaux had steadied themselves and would find their first period form.

Although les Lionceaux dominated the play, clear-cut chances were extremely scarce as their guests defended stoutly, with Alaeddine Yahia throwing himself in front of a series of potentially dangerous shots. Meanwhile, the blue-clad guests were content to counter, with a powerful shot from Eduardo taking a coat of paint from Richert’s post as it passed wide.

Sochaux could certainly not be faulted for their desire, but they were without an idea as to how to break down their opponents. Eventually this would decisively count against them as the visitors struck a second.

Boukari’s stunning strike from the right corner of the box was out of the character of the match. A quick feint opened up the shooting angle for him, but he still had much work to do as he bent a fantastic finish into the opposite top corner of Richert’s goal.

In stoppage time Sloan Privat finally found a breakthrough for the home side. This gave the visitors a dramatic chance to muster one final attack, but despite creating a chance for Damien Perquis, the defender flicked the centre by the near post.

Lens’ victory was not particularly pretty, but that did not dampen the spirits of the large and noisy travelling contingent, who have seen their side move further clear of the drop zone. Sochaux, meanwhile, will go into the international break on this sour note, but despite being 14th, they don’t seem in a great deal of immediate relegation danger, boasting a six point lead on 18th placed Boulogne.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com