Ligue 1: Held to a draw in Nice, Lens lets Paris consolidate its position as leader

Lens players returned with a draw from Nice (1-1) on Saturday, and see the Ligue 1 title slipping away.

Published on 02/05/2026 at 23:07, Reading time: 1min

[image description: Defender of RC Lens, Samson Baidoo in a duel against OGC Nice forward, Mohamed-Ali Cho, during the Ligue 1 match at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice, on May 2, 2026. (VALERY HACHE / AFP)]

The evening took a bad turn for Lens. At the end of a very close match, Lens was held to a draw on Saturday, May 2, on the 32nd day of Ligue 1, by a solid Nice team, especially in the first half. It took until the second half for Lens to open the scoring thanks to Allan Saint-Maximin (61st minute) from a corner. The 29-year-old forward, a former Niçois player, scored his third goal in Ligue 1, his second in two matches. However, a serious mistake by Lens’ full-back Saud Abdulhamid, who was shown a red card (81st minute), changed the game.

Reduced to ten men, Lens lost their advantage after a goal from Ali Abdi (84th minute). Lens did not take advantage of the opportunity left by Paris Saint-Germain. After their 2-2 draw with Lorient, Paris had left the door open for the Ligue 1 title. This could have been favorable for Lens, who with a victory could have been three points ahead in first place with two matches to go in the season (three matches for Lens and Paris, as their match was rescheduled to May 13 at the request of Parisians, to prepare for the Champions League quarter-finals).

Instead, they only gained one point, like Paris, and remain six points behind PSG, watching the French champion title slip away. With a seven-point lead over Lyon (3rd) and Lille (4th), Lens is still in a good position for the Champions League race.