Lens Turn Nice Into a Spectacle

Lens walked into the Stade Bollaert-Delelis with a quiet confidence, while Nice arrived hoping to nick a cup upset and maybe a souvenir. From the first whistle the home side dictated the tempo, pressing high and forcing the visitors into a series of panicked clearances. The first half ended goalless – a rare sight for a tie billed as “match spectaculaire” – but the boredom was merely the calm before the storm.

When the whistle blew for the second half, Lens erupted like a caffeinated choir. A swift counter‑attack in the 52nd minute saw their left‑wing whip in a cross that the Nice defence somehow managed to divert into their own net – 1‑0. Nice tried to respond, but their midfield looked as disoriented as a tourist without a map, and Lens doubled the lead ten minutes later through a