Lens have the chance to put one foot firmly in the knockout stages of the Champions League when they head to the Philips Stadion for a Group B date with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
Les Sang et Or sit second in the section with five points to their name, while their hosts are yet to claim a maximum and sit bottom of the four-team standings as a result.
Match preview
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Three weeks on from their magnificent second-half turnaround against Sevilla, where Jordan Teze stole a point in the fifth minute of injury time, PSV were given a taste of their own medicine when they locked horns with Lens at the French side's Stade Bollaert-Delelis base.
A fine strike from Johan Bakayoko had PSV on course for their first win in Group B at the third attempt, but the Rood-Witten's lead only lasted for a total of 11 minutes, as Elye Wahi came up with the goods yet again to leave Peter Bosz's crop ruing what could have been yet again.
PSV cannot be eliminated from last-16 contention entirely this week, but the fourth-placed hosts - who also have a 4-0 loss to Arsenal on their notebook - will be condemned to a second-placed finish at best if the Gunners sink Sevilla, whose superior goal difference is keeping PSV out of the Europa League berth.
Amid their underwhelming displays in Europe, the Dutch giants continue to tear defences to shreds in the Eredivisie, battering Heracles 6-0 on Saturday following a 5-2 victory over crisis club Ajax, keeping them top of the rankings with a perfect record of 11 wins from 11 top-flight matches.
However, domestic dominance has not translated into continental supremacy for PSV, who have now gone winless in 17 Champions League matches - excluding qualifying - and not since the Phillip Cocu days of 2015 have the hosts won a top-level European game in front of the home crowd.
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The weight of expectation initially seemed too heavy for Lens to bear at the start of the season, but the French upstarts can now move to within one point of a place in the Champions League knockout rounds, having navigated three Group B contests without defeat so far.
Coming from behind has been the name of the game for Franck Haise's troops, who achieved their draws against Sevilla and PSV in that fashion before stunning Arsenal in a 2-1 fightback success, leaving them just one point adrift of the North London outfit in second place at the halfway mark.
After losing four of their opening five Ligue 1 games in 2023-24, Les Sang et Or head into Wednesday's clash seeking to stretch their unbeaten run across all tournaments to 10 matches, although they flattered to deceive on the offensive front in a goalless draw with Lorient at the weekend.
Four of Lens' last five contests have now ended level, but for all of PSV's attacking might, the French outfit have three clean sheets to show from their last four matches and have not conceded more than once over 90 minutes since a 3-0 loss to Monaco on September 2.
Each of Lens' last three away matches has seen Haise's defence emerge unbroken too, but in order to move to the brink of a top-two finish, Haise's men must achieve something that none of their Sang et Or predecessors have done - beat an Eredivisie side away from home.
Team News
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A few thoughts were spared for Ismael Saibari during PSV's six-goal thumping of Heracles, as the playmaker was brought on for Jerdy Schouten at half time before coming off just eight minutes later after taking a finger to the eye.
Despite donning a swollen eye socket, Saibari played down his issue on social media after the game and should be considered for selection on Wednesday, but Noa Lang (hamstring), Mauro Junior (knee), Armando Obispo (knee) and Armel Bella-Kotchap (shoulder) are all in the care of the medical team.
Both Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman have given Bosz food for thought with their goals off the bench against Heracles, but the hosts will likely put out an unchanged starting XI on the back of that emphatic triumph.
Meanwhile, Lens came out of their draw with Lorient without any new issues to report, leaving a trio of known absentees in the medical bay, including ACL pair Jimmy Cabot and Wuilker Farinez.
Wesley Said and David Costa are also working their way back from thigh injuries, but the former has returned to the squad, and Haise still has several options for change, particularly in the attacking areas.
Indeed, both Wahi and Adrien Thomasson were overlooked for starts against Lorient, but the duo will now go head-to-head to replace Morgan Guilavogui, while Salis Abdul Samed is in line for a recall to the engine room.
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Teze, Ramalho, Boscagli, Dest; Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, Til, Lozano; De Jong
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Medina, Danso, Gradit; Frankowski, Mendy, Abdul Samed, Machado; Sotoca, Thomasson; Wahi
We say: PSV Eindhoven 2-1 Lens
Expected recalls for Wahi and Thomasson in the final third should help Lens rediscover their bite in the final third, but they could certainly do with taking a leaf or two out of PSV's attacking playbook, even if Bosz's team have seen their powers wane continentally.
Haise's troops have also proven time and time again that they are a force to reckon with defensively on the road, but we cannot see Les Sang et Or coming from behind to avoid defeat for a fourth time, as PSV harness their enviable firepower to blow Group B wide open.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
