Gessime Yassine’s brace gives Strasbourg a 2-1 comeback win

Strasbourg completed a 2-1 comeback victory over Lens at Stade de la Meinau on Saturday, overturning a half-time deficit to secure the three points in Ligue 1’s second regular-season round.

Thauvin puts Lens ahead

The opening half was decided by a penalty in the 38th minute. Florian Thauvin converted from the spot for Lens, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead at the break. The goal capped a strong individual display from Thauvin, who also recorded five key passes and one shot on target across his 90 minutes.

Strasbourg responded almost immediately after the restart. Gessime Yassine equalised in the 48th minute, finishing a move supplied by Sebastian Nanasi. The pair combined again late in the match, with Nanasi providing his second assist for Yassine in the 85th minute. Yassine’s second goal completed the turnaround and made him the decisive figure in the result.

Strasbourg edge an even contest

The statistics underline how closely contested the match was. Both teams attempted 16 shots, while Strasbourg held a narrow 52 per cent share of possession to Lens’s 48 per cent. Strasbourg had seven shots on goal compared with Lens’s six, and both goalkeepers made five saves. The hosts also led in accurate passes, 386 to 347, although Lens won the corner count 5-3.

Strasbourg’s 12 shots inside the box were only one more than Lens managed, while the visitors had a slight advantage in shots outside the area, 5-4. The identical foul count of 10 and the absence of red cards further reflected a balanced game rather than sustained control by either side. Strasbourg’s greater efficiency after half-time ultimately separated the teams, despite the equal total-shot count.

Discipline and late changes

Jeyland Mitchell was booked for Strasbourg in the 36th minute, two minutes before Thauvin’s penalty. Lens later received yellow cards for Franjo Ivanovic in the 69th minute and Ruben Aguilar in the 80th, while Yassine was cautioned after his second goal in the 84th minute. Both teams made several changes during the second half, with Strasbourg introducing Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Abdoul Karim Coulibaly and Sekou Mara late on.

Yassine leads the ratings

Yassine was the standout performer, earning a 9.4 rating after playing 90 minutes and scoring twice. Nanasi also impressed with two assists and four key passes. The victory ends Strasbourg’s listed run of defeats and reverses the half-time momentum, while Lens’s listed winning form was halted. In the supplied standings, Strasbourg were 18th on zero points and Lens third on three before this result.