The euphoria seems to have passed for RC Lens. But the Artesians remain undefeated. And this is the main lesson from this third day of the Champions League in Group B, where RC Lens retains a serious chance of qualifying after its draw against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday evening (1-1). A result lower than that which the Bollaert stadium, with its euphoria as contagious as ever, had the right to hope for, but a new point gleaned from the courage and self-sacrifice of a team decidedly full of surprises.
Because the Lensois, apart from a vigorous first quarter of an hour, will have suffered for a long time against the men of Peter Bosz, the former OL coach with results at odds with his former club (9 victories in as many matches Eredivisie). Led by an untenable Hirving Lozano failing to be decisive (hit on the post, 27th), the Dutch displayed a technical superiority which had the merit of anesthetizing the good will of the locals, ultimately caught short on a comeback. ball from the Mexican, converted with style by the other PSV winger, the Belgian Johan Bakayoko (55th).
Stunned for five minutes, Franck Haise’s gang will end up revolting according to a scenario already experienced in the past. As against Seville (1-1) then Arsenal (2-1), Racing will equalize in less than a quarter of an hour, through the inevitable Elye Wahi, quicker to place his volley on a pancake from Frankowski (65th). After “Fergie Time”, “Francky Time”? While he seemed to be heading towards the exit, the international hopeful was invited to stay on the field by his coach, whose imprint on the Lensois revival is no longer to be proven.
And if Lens may have some regrets as PSV fell back at the end of the match, the Northerners could just as easily have lost everything at the end of the match (87th, 88th, 90th). So if the feat against Arsenal had raised the wildest hopes on the continental scene, if a victory seemed within reach against a team whose last victory in C1 dates back to 2015, it is sometimes a question of seeing the glass half full. And in the middle of the group stage, RC Lens is second in their group, one point behind the vice-champion of England. Not bad for 15th in Ligue 1.