Lens Boss Sage Says They Are Putting Pressure On PSG After Le Havre Win

Lens edged past Le Havre 1-0 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, a result that pushed Paris Saint-Germain down to second place before PSG visit Strasbourg on Sunday. Ruben Aguilar struck in first-half added time, and that single goal moved Lens one point clear. The victory also extended Lens’ strong run in the Ligue 1 title race, with supporters sensing a significant opportunity.

After 20 Ligue 1 matches in the 2025-26 season, Lens now sit on 46 points, which is the club’s best total at this stage in any top-flight campaign. This latest result delivered a 15th league win of the season, matching last year’s tally of 15 victories from 34 games, when Lens finished with 15 wins, seven draws and 12 defeats.

Lens continued an impressive sequence at home, as the narrow success over Le Havre became their ninth straight Ligue 1 victory at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The club have previously enjoyed a longer top-flight home streak only once, putting together 10 consecutive wins between August 2022 and January 2023. That record now appears within reach again as the Ligue 1 title race intensifies.

Key numbers from Lens’ 2025-26 Ligue 1 campaign also underline their progress and potential impact on the title race.

Full-back Matthieu Udol contributed again in attack, recording a sixth assist in this Ligue 1 campaign. That figure is second in the division, with only Vitinha on seven providing more. Among defenders across the top five European leagues, the tally is matched or beaten by very few; only Federico Dimarco, with seven assists for Inter, has supplied more so far this season.

Head coach Pierre Sage acknowledged the wider context, noting the effect on Paris Saint-Germain and the Ligue 1 title race. "We're putting pressure on PSG," said Sage. "Luis Enrique said after winning in Auxerre that he was putting pressure on Lens, and we're putting pressure on PSG too. It's very easy to play on Fridays when you're winning, because you can watch the other matches calmly. And they play with that in mind."

Sage, however, stressed that the long-term aim remains measured, even with Lens leading the Ligue 1 title race for now. "I don't think we're in a long-term battle with PSG," Sage added. "We're simply focused on building something very positive for ourselves, and we realise, from the way we played tonight, that there's still room for improvement."

Sage explained that European qualification is still the priority objective for this season, despite Lens’ current position in the Ligue 1 title race. "We're still focused on scoring the number of points we're aiming for so we can qualify for Europe. We're two wins away from that goal. Reclaiming first place tonight is a positive, but what matters is the points tally."