Marseille win at Lens but midfield question lingers

Marseille left Stade Bollaert-Delelis with a 2-1 win on Sunday, their third consecutive away Ligue 1 victory for the first time since January 2025. The result keeps them in the European qualification race and extends their best league run of the season. But the manner of the win — a comical early gift, a late winner, and long spells in which they were second best — invites a harder look at whether this Marseille side can sustain its current form against stronger opposition.

Lens conceded inside 90 seconds when Jonathan Gradit's back pass to Samson Baidoo was too far in front of his teammate, allowing Amine Gouiri to tap into an empty net. Florian Thauvin headed Lens level midway through the first half against his former side from Florian Sotoca's cross. Marseille scored a late winner through Abdallah on 82 minutes.

The raw numbers tell a more complicated story than the scoreline. Lens had 41 per cent possession but 13 shots to Marseille's 16, six shots on target to Marseille's five, and five big chances to Marseille's three. Marseille's expected goals of 2.16 against Lens's 1.92 suggests a narrow edge in chance quality, but the hosts created more clear-cut opportunities. Marseille had more of the ball and more shots, but Lens had the better chances.

Marseille's six corners here came against an average of 3.8 across their earlier 2026/27 matches in all competitions. Their expected goals of 2.16 here came against an average of 1.48, and their open-play expected goals of 2.0 against an average of 0.94. Those figures frame a question rather than answer it: was this an attacking performance that represents a step forward, or one inflated by a single defensive error and a late goal?

Marseille's expected goals and corner numbers were higher than their earlier-season averages, but one match is not a trend. The question of whether the current midfield setup is sustainable against stronger opposition remains open.

Lens, meanwhile, were coming off a 9-1 home Champions League defeat to Como and a narrow league defeat at Lille. Before the match, Marseille sat sixth with 15 points and Lens ninth with 13 after nine matches, two points apart. Lens' collapse after a historic European humiliation raises questions about their confidence and balance, but they responded well here after conceding early.

Marseille arrived on a four-game league winning streak plus a Europa League win at Bayer Leverkusen settled by a late Amine Gouiri goal. The win at Lens extends that run, but the performance — built on a gift and a late winner — leaves the midfield question unanswered. The next matches will show whether this was a representative performance or one that benefited from Lens' errors.