Montpellier and Lens Battle to 1-1 Draw in Ligue 1 fixture

The match between Montpellier and Lens in Match Day 25 of Ligue 1 ended in a tie. Lens got off to a quick start, with A._Fulgini scoring at the 4th minute (0:1). Montpellier fought back hard, and their efforts paid off when F._Maouassa scored the equalizer at the 59th minute (1:1). While both teams battled fiercely throughout the game, neither could find a way to break through for a decisive goal. The game ended in a draw, with both teams taking away one point each.

Line-ups:

Montpellier Benjamin Lecomte (rating 7.5) Boubakar Kouyaté (rating 6.6) Christopher Jullien (rating 6.6) Maxime Estève (rating 6.5) Falaye Sacko (rating 6.6) Jordan Ferri (rating 6.9) Joris Chotard (rating 7.5) Issiaga Sylla (rating 6.3) Arnaud Nordin (rating 7.2) Wahbi Khazri (rating 6.9) Faitout Maouassa (rating 7.3)

Lens Brice Samba (rating 6.3) Jonathan Gradit (rating 6.2) Kevin Danso (rating 6.7) Facundo Medina (rating 6.3) Przemysław Frankowski (rating 7.3) Salis Abdul Samed (rating 7) Seko Fofana (rating 7.5) Deiver Machado (rating 6.7) Adrien Thomasson (rating 7.2) Angelo Fulgini (rating 7.7) Florian Sotoca (rating 7.2)

Substitutions:

Montpellier K. Fayad (M. Esteve, 30) S. Mavididi (F. Maouassa, 73) V. Germain (W. Khazri, 89) E. Tchato (A. Nordin, 90)

Lens L. Openda (A. Fulgini, 64) M. Haidara (D. Machado, 78) D. Costa (A. Thomasson, 78) J. Le Cardinal (P. Frankowski, 89)

Ball possession:

The match between Montpellier and Lens was a close-fought affair, with Lens dominating possession by having 62% of the ball. Montpellier had 8 shots on target, with Joris Chotard leading the way in terms of number of shots. Lens also managed to create 17 shots on target and 6 goals, with Florian Sotoca being the most successful in terms of hitting the back of the net. In the end, it was an exciting game that could have gone either way.

Passes:

Jordanian Ferri and Issiaga Sylla play for Montpellier while Facundo Medina and Przemysław Frankowski play for Lens. Jordan Ferri had an impressive 85% pass accuracy, making 55 passes in total. Facundo Medina followed with a 93% pass accuracy making 83 passes in total. Issiaga Sylla made 2 key passes during the game, while Przemysław Frankowski made 3. All four players had strong performances, with both teams being able to benefit from their passing abilities.

Defense:

Montpellier is clearly leading the way with 9 interceptions, with Boubakar Kouyaté leading the way with 2 of those. Lens is lagging behind significantly, only having 2 interceptions – Jonathan Gradit has the most of those at 1. Montpellier are also doing well in this department, as Khalil Fayad has the single interception they have managed to get. However, Lens have failed to manage any interceptions at all.

Face-to-face:

The battle for the ball is always an important part of any soccer match, and two players have emerged as the clear leaders in this area. Arnaud Nordin from Montpellier has won 8 face-to-face fights for the ball, while Jonathan Gradit from Lens has won an impressive 10. These two players are clearly a cut above their rivals when it comes to winning possession during matches, and will be a key factor in deciding which team takes home the victory.

Fouls:

Yellow cards:

• K. Danso (Lens) at 21 minute
• F. Sotoca (Lens) at 23 minute
• D. Costa (Lens) at 85 minute

The last five games (including this match):

• Montpellier – DWWLL
• Lens – DWLDL

Top 5 Ligue 1 scorers:

1. Jonathan David (15, Lille)
2. K. Mbappe (15, Paris Saint Germain)
3. Folarin Balogun (15, Reims)
4. Alexandre Lacazette (14, Lyon)
5. Wissam Ben Yedder (14, Monaco)

Next games:

• Montpellier will play with Angers. March 05 at 14:00 (UTC), on Stade de la Mosson.
• Lens will play with Lille. March 04 at 16:00 (UTC), on Stade Bollaert-Delelis.