Edouard headed a brace as Lens retook the lead in Ligue 1

Pierre Sage’s unexpected contenders, Lens, reclaimed the Ligue 1 summit from PSG to ensure they spend the winter break in first place. Although PSG temporarily led following a narrow victory over Metz, Lens responded with their sixth consecutive win, moving to 37 points.

Former Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard was the hero, scoring two headers from Matthieu Udol crosses to defeat Franck Haise’s struggling Nice. Edouard’s first was a looping header, while his second saw him unmarked at the back post. Conversely, Nice are in freefall, having lost nine successive matches across all competitions. Their crisis is deepened by upcoming games behind closed doors following repeated crowd trouble.

Tensions escalated recently when angry ultras stopped the team bus and allegedly attacked players after a defeat to Lorient. While PSG remain close challengers, it is Sage’s resilient Lens squad that heads into the holidays looking down on the rest of the league.