PARIS (AP) — Lens captain Florian Sotoca urged fans to keep believing his team can topple Paris Saint-Germain and win Ligue 1.
Last weekend’s 3-2 home loss by Lens to Monaco opened the door for defending champion PSG to go back on top by two points.
The manner of the defeat saw Lens throw away a 2-0 lead by conceding three goals in 10 minutes, and raised questions about whether Lens has what it takes.
“We want to show that it was a blip,” Sotoca said. “We’re an ambitious team dreaming of going as far as possible.”
As well as chasing its second French title, Lens faces Lyon in the French Cup quarterfinals next week.
Key matchups
Lens travels to the Alsace region to face Strasbourg on Friday. Strasbourg is seventh and can still make the Champions League places with a late push, but coach Gary O’Neil’s side remains inconsistent.
PSG plays on Saturday at 13th-placed Le Havre, whose coach Didier Digard hardly sounded confident.
“We have to be realistic. I’d love to make you dream and tell you we’re going to win,” said Digard, who played one season in midfield for PSG. “But in reality, Paris, even with injuries, is in a completely different world.”
After its 13-game winning run ended, third-placed Lyon faces a tough match at fourth-placed Marseille on Sunday.
A win for Marseille would close the gap on Lyon to two points.
Players to watch
Striker Estéban Lepaul looks to add to his 12 league goals when Rennes hosts Toulouse on Saturday.
Lepaul is one behind Strasbourg’s Joaquín Panichelli and two behind Marseille’s Mason Greenwood in the scoring charts. But the fact he takes no penalties — compared to five each for his two rivals — makes him comfortably the top scorer from open play.
Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser will be in the spotlight after his sloppy second-half performance last weekend, when a handling error led to Monaco’s equalizer.
Dro Fernández could feature again for PSG. The 18-year-old midfielder, who joined from Barcelona, started in the 3-0 win against Metz last weekend.
Brazil forward Endrick was poor against Strasbourg and coach Paulo Fonseca needs him at his best against Marseille.
Out of action
Le Havre is missing stalwart defender Loïc Nego due to a calf injury.
PSG is waiting on the fitness of Ousmane Dembélé, who has a similar injury, while Lyon’s Argentina left back Nicolás Tagliafico is recovering from a sprained ankle.
Off the field
With Metz rock bottom in the league and staring another relegation in the face, supporters have had enough. The club’s two main Ultras groups — Horda Frénétik and Gruppa Metz — called for a protest march before Sunday’s home outing against Brest.
“Season after season, we experience the same scenario (with) no ambitious long-term sporting project to establish the club permanently in Ligue 1,” the two groups said in a joint statement. “Fatigue has reached its peak.” ___
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