After the heaviest defeat of a French club in the Champions League, Lens host Marseille

RC Lens suffered the heaviest defeat ever inflicted on a French club in the Champions League on Wednesday night: beaten 9-1 at home by Como, an eight-goal margin, ahead of Brest’s 7-0 loss in Paris (2025) and Lens’s own 6-0 at Arsenal (2023). Douvikas scored a hat-trick; Aguilar’s 65th-minute reply counted for the scoresheet and little else.

The week was meant to put Lens back on their feet. On Friday they had lost the 125th northern derby 0-1 at Lille, and head coach Yannick Cahuzac refused to let the spiral take hold: “we must not let doubt settle in, and we have to analyse what has not worked,” he told Lensois.com, quoted by L’Équipe. The European week was meant to be the reset; it delivered the 9-1.

In his post-match press conference, Cahuzac went on: “The scoreline is heavy, we were completely dominated. We must seriously question ourselves and try to get some pride back against Marseille on Sunday.”

In the European table, Lens have 3 points from four matches (one win in Prague, three defeats) and sit 33rd of 36. Lille, who grabbed their first point on Tuesday (0-0 at Bodø/Glimt), are 35th and second from bottom. PSG are the only French side still standing: 12 points out of 12, top of the Champions League alongside Real Madrid, ahead of hosting Troyes on Saturday evening. The two northern neighbours share the same continental trouble, but their domestic fortunes differ: Lille are 2nd in Ligue 1 (18 points), Lens 9th (13).

Lens are still favourites, and the market is already moving

On Sunday (8.45pm CET) Lens are still priced as favourites at home against Marseille: 2.22 with Betano on Thursday, an implied probability of about 45%. The price has drifted since opening (2.116) while Marseille’s has tightened, from 3.305 to 3.165 with 1xbet. Four days before kick-off, the bookmakers are already pricing in the aftermath of the 9-1, and Marseille arrive on four straight Ligue 1 wins. Lens went into Wednesday with four players missing from training (Édouard, Ganiou, Sima, Nawrocki).

The same read at Rennes (Sunday, 3pm CET): Lille, 2nd in the table, are priced behind their hosts, 3.30 with Bet365 against 2.20 with 1xbet, days after a trip to Norway. 18+. Only bet what you can afford to lose.