Luis Enrique defends Lens ahead of Marseille: scorelines are accidents

Four goals between the 9th and 16th minute: PSG knocked Villarreal out in eight minutes on Tuesday, and the Spanish press is still dizzy. AS writes that “this PSG is a brute”, Marca reaches for the boxing metaphor, a “Mike Tyson beating” for a submarine “begging for mercy in every move”. On Saturday night the club stretched its winning run to eleven by beating Troyes 1-0, and Luis Enrique keeps a cool head.

“They are accidents”

At his press conference before Troyes, the Paris coach played down both scorelines of the week, his own and Lens’s. “The scores of Villarreal-PSG (0-6) and Lens-Como (1-9) do not reflect the real gaps between the teams”, he told RMC Sport. On the Sang et Or he went further: “That is not the gap between Como and Lens. Lens is a very good team. This is competitive football. They are accidents.” He watched that 1-9 closely, and for a reason: PSG travel to Como on January 20 in the Champions League.

The market has already decided

At Bollaert, Marseille travel on Sunday evening (8.45pm) to a Lens side sitting 9th (13 points) and celebrating its 120th anniversary, four days after the heaviest defeat of a French club in Champions League history. Bookmakers have turned the 1-9 into prices: the Lens win, opened at 2.12 with 1xbet, trades at 2.34, and Marseille or the draw has shortened from 1.81 to 1.67. “They are a wounded team”, the Marseille coach said, expecting a Lens reaction.

Lens still trades as favourite, and that is the favour our Lens vs Marseille preview plays against: Marseille or draw at 1.75, taken this week. Kick-off 8.45pm at Bollaert. 18+. Only bet what you can afford to lose.