Le Mans 2-2 Lens: a thrilling draw in Ligue 1

The Ligue 1 encounter between Le Mans and Lens took place at the Stade Marie-Marvingt in Le Mans on 13 September 2026. Both sides entered the match looking to secure three points, and the atmosphere was electric as the home crowd watched a tightly contested battle unfold.

How it unfolded

The opening stages were physical, with the first booking arriving in the 15th minute when Le Mans defender Noa Boissé was shown a yellow card for a bad foul. Lens responded quickly, and five minutes later Michaël Cuisance received a similar caution for a bad foul of his own. The tempo remained high, and a further booking came at the 28th minute when Jean Vercruysse of Le Mans was also booked for a bad foul, signalling a match that would be hard-fought in midfield.

The first breakthrough came at the 32nd minute. After a fast break, Adil Bourabaa latched onto a cross and headed the ball from very close range into the centre of the goal, giving Le Mans a 1-0 lead. The home side pressed their advantage, and just before the half-time whistle they doubled their lead. In the 44th minute, Lucas Calodat struck a left-footed shot from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner. The move originated from another fast break and was set up by an assist from Adil Bourabaa, putting Le Mans comfortably ahead at 2-0.

Lens, however, showed resilience. Two minutes into added time of the first half, Abdallah Sima headed home from the centre of the box, sending the ball to the top left corner. The goal was confirmed after a VAR review, reducing the deficit to 2-1 just before the break.

The second half began with Lens on the front foot. In the 51st minute, Franjo Ivanovic headed the ball from the centre of the box into the bottom right corner, completing a move that started with a cross from Ruben Aguilar. The equaliser restored parity at 2-2 and shifted the momentum towards the visitors. Two minutes later, in the 53rd minute, Lens midfielder Florian Thauvin was booked for a bad foul, adding to the match’s disciplinary tally.

Both sides continued to create chances, but the score remained level for the remainder of the 90 minutes, resulting in a shared point for each club.

Standout performers

  • Adil Bourabaa (Le Mans) – opened the scoring with a close-range header and later provided the decisive assist for Lucas Calodat’s second goal.
  • Lucas Calodat (Le Mans) – scored the second goal of the match with a precise left-footed strike from the left side of the box.
  • Abdallah Sima (Lens) – headed the equaliser in stoppage time of the first half, his goal confirmed after VAR review.
  • Franjo Ivanovic (Lens) – netted the second Lens goal with a well-timed header, benefitting from Ruben Aguilar’s cross.
  • Ruben Aguilar (Lens) – delivered the cross that set up Ivanovic’s header, playing a key part in Lens’ comeback.

Match facts

  • Final score: Le Mans 2-2 Lens
  • Scorers:
    • Le Mans – Adil Bourabaa (32'), Lucas Calodat (44') – assist from Adil Bourabaa
    • Lens – Abdallah Sima (45'+2'), Franjo Ivanovic (51') – assist from Ruben Aguilar
  • Bookings:
    • Noa Boissé (Le Mans) – 15'
    • Michaël Cuisance (Lens) – 20'
    • Jean Vercruysse (Le Mans) – 28'
    • Andrija Bulatovic (Lens) – 38'
    • Florian Thauvin (Lens) – 53'
  • Venue: Stade Marie-Marvingt, Le Mans

What it means

The 2-2 draw means that both Le Mans and Lens leave Stade Marie-Marvingt with one point each, keeping their Ligue 1 campaigns evenly balanced after the opening round.