First place in Ligue 1 is within reach for Lens this weekend as they travel to Stade de l'Aube for a date with Troyes.
Les Sang et Or defeated Auxerre 1-0 last weekend, moving to within three points of the league leaders Paris Saint-Germain, while ESTAC are three points above the relegation line following a 5-1 defeat at Lille on Sunday.
Match preview
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A coaching change at Troyes has not equalled a difference in results, as the north-central club have lost three of its five league matches played since Bruno Irles was sacked.
Under the guidance of Australian Patrick Kisnorbo, they have been outscored 11-4 this year in four games played in all competitions.
The former Socceroos defender who enjoyed plenty of success as a coach down under is the first Australian to manage a Ligue 1 side.
The man who led Melbourne City to consecutive A-League Premiership titles has a lot of work to do when it comes to improving this team's defending, with Troyes allowing the second-most goals in the French top-flight this season.
They are winless in seven successive home fixtures in this competition, with six draws and one defeat over that span, the longest run for them at Stade de l'Aube without earning maximum points since going 16 matches without a triumph between August 2015 and April 2016.
Troyes have failed to find the back of the net at home in 2023, though their only clean sheet of the campaign occurred at Stade de l'Aube versus Nantes (0-0) at the end of last year.
They have only defeated Lens once in their previous 12 top-flight encounters this century, losing all three matches against them since being promoted into Ligue 1 in 2021.
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Throughout the season, Lens have continued to build momentum with every match, while consistently finding a way to get the job done, putting themselves within striking distance of Paris Saint-Germain.
It may feel like a long time ago, but Lens only gained promotion into Ligue 1 in 2020, but since their return, they have consistently been in the mix for a European spot each season.
Franck Haise has consistently got the best out of his players, with Lens currently on 44 points domestically, the highest tally for them midway through a top-flight campaign.
That is a good sign for this team in their quest to qualify for Europe, something they have narrowly missed out on in back-to-back campaigns.
The previous 19 teams with as many points as they currently have at the halfway mark of the campaign each wound up in the top three when the season concluded.
Last weekend, they moved into the last 16 at the Coupe de France, claiming a comfortable 3-1 victory over Brest, extending their unbeaten run away from home to six consecutive matches in all competitions.
One of their biggest strengths is their ability to remain composed and compact along the backline, conceding the fewest goals in the league this season (13).
Nine of their 13 domestic triumphs in 2022-23 have been by a single goal, including their previous encounter at home to Troyes in September when they walked away with a 1-0 win.
Team News
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Mama Balde scored for Troyes last weekend against Lille, his team-leading eighth of the season, five more than he had throughout the entire 2021-22 campaign, as he, Renaud Ripart and Rony Lopes are the only ESTAC players to have found the back of the net this year.
Mateusz Lis, who is currently on loan from Southampton, is getting used to collecting the ball out of his goal, doing it multiple times in five of his last six matches in all competitions, while captain Adil Rami has not featured in a league contest since the middle of October.
Ripart will be suspended for this encounter, Lucien Agoume, on loan from Inter Milan, remains sidelined for unknown reasons and Florian Tardieu will not be back this season after tearing his Achilles tendon.
Goals from Wesley Said, Facundo Medina and Adrien Thomasson helped propel Lens to victory over Brest at the Coupe de France, while it was Przemyslaw Frankowski who scored from the penalty spot in their previous league triumph versus Auxerre (1-0).
Brice Samba has nine clean sheets this season, one shy of the league lead held by PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma, making two stops in their last match against Troyes, where Kevin Danso had the only goal.
Wuilker Farinez and Jimmy Cabot are out for the long term with ACL injuries, while Adam Buksa is not expected back until early February from a sprained ankle.
Troyes possible starting lineup:
Lis; Conte, Porozo, Palmer-Brown, Salmier, T. Balde; Chavalerin, Tardieu, Lopes; Ugbo, M. Balde
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Abdul Samed, Fofana, Haidara; Costa; Said, Openda
We say: Troyes 1-3 Lens
Lens may not have a prolific scoring side, but there are plenty of holes in the Troyes defence that Kisnorbo needs to sort out, and given the consistency and defensive strength of the visitors, we expect they will be able to find the back of the net a few times and keep the pressure on PSG at the top of the table.
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