On Canal+, Laure Boulleau spoke about Lens' very poor first half against Sevilla on Tuesday night in the Champions League. The opposing team showed no mercy towards the Lens players...
Although Lens have been eliminated from the Champions League, they can still secure a place in the Europa League playoffs. The reigning French runners-up are currently third in their Champions League group and will host bottom-placed Sevilla at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Tuesday in a crucial match.
On the noisy pitch of the Blood and Gold, Lens and their manager Frank Haise struggled to compete with the Spanish visitors in the first half. Sevilla dominated possession, enjoying 31% of the ball while Lens failed to muster a single touch in the opposition box. It was a one-sided affair, with the Andalusian side in complete control of the tempo and flow of the game.
Lens' Champions League campaign has been a disappointment so far, with the French club failing to replicate the success of their Ligue 1 campaign last year. They still have a chance to salvage something from their European adventure by qualifying for the Europa League last XNUMX, however. Beating Sevilla at home on Tuesday will be crucial if they are to achieve that goal and end their Champions League journey on a positive note. It's set to be a tough game for Lens, but they will be buoyed by the passionate support of their home fans at the Bollaert. Overcoming Sevilla's first-half dominance and turning the tide in their favour will be key if Lens are to keep their continental hopes alive this season.
At half-time (0-0), Laure Boulleau, football specialist on Canal+, gave a damning assessment of Lens' first half: "Lens is not there at all. It's not easy to approach a match when you're I was told that a draw is enough to qualify. When I was a player, I didn't really like this kind of context. The intensity of our Lensois is here, they should be there, in this sector. periods for Lens, and there's nothing to be gained from it."
The objectives offer little offensive threat
Lens managed just one shot in the 45 minutes (a long-range effort from Eli Wahi) and, remarkably, the northerners of France registered 0 expected goals. “I’ve never seen an expected goals total of zero, it’s exceptional,” added the former France left-back, who has become a respected pundit on Canal+’s sports coverage.
Lens' lethargic and uninspired first-half display left much to be desired, with Boulleau's scathing analysis highlighting the team's lack of intensity and focus. The pressure is now on for Lens to turn things around in the second half if they are to keep their Europa League qualification hopes alive.
