The Lens clinched their first win of the season after a dominant 2-0 victory over Openda in round 17 of the Ligue 1. The result was a much-needed boost for the team, who had struggled to find form so far this campaign.
In the opening stages of the match, Openda looked to be the more attacking side, with several promising chances created by their players. However, it was Lens who took control of the game and began to dominate possession. Their passing and movement were superb, with key passes from midfielders like Nabil Fekir and Jonathan Ikoné leading to opportunities for their forwards.
In the 34th minute, the breakthrough came as a result of a corner kick taken by Fekir. The ball found its way into the penalty area, where it was met by the head of substitute Adama Traoré, who nodded it past the goalkeeper to give Lens the lead.
Openda responded well to losing the lead, creating some good chances of their own. However, it was Lens who added to their lead just before half-time, with another goal scored through Fekir. This time, his shot was placed perfectly into the top corner of the net, giving him a hat-trick on the night.
Despite being down two goals at halftime, Openda refused to give up and continued to push forward. However, they were unable to find any further goals, leaving them trailing by two going into the second half.
In the second half, Openda's determination paid off when they managed to score a late equalizer. But it was too little, too late, as Lens held onto their lead to secure their first win of the season.
For Lens, the victory is a significant step forward in what has been a difficult start to the campaign. They will now look to build on this result and continue to improve as they aim to make a strong challenge for promotion next season.