LENS, France (AP) — Lens allowed two goals in the first 13 minutes and bounced back in a superb second half to beat Toulouse 3-2 on Friday and keep alive slim hopes of a first Ligue 1 title since 1998.
It was helped by the 17th minute red card for Toulouse midfielder Yan Ghobo.
Lens has matched reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain for much of the season but two defeats in its last two games dented its title aspirations and it needed to take all three points against a team that shipped seven goals in its last two matches.
However, it was two goals behind before it knew what was happening.
Goalkeeper Robin Risser fluffed Cristian Casseres’ shot after six minutes then Seny Koumbassa’s header went in off the crossbar seven minutes later to put Toulouse in the driving seat.
Lens was all over the visitors — who did not have another shot on target for the rest of the game — but not until the 61st minute did it turn domination into goals.
Saud Abdulhamid scored with a fine header that appeared to break the Toulouse resolve, and six minutes later Adrien Thomasson leveled.
Ismaelo Ganiou’s 91st-minute goal sent the home fans wild and lifted Lens to within a point of league leader PSG.
PSG has two games in hand.
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