End of a Perfect Run

After five straight wins, Olympique de Marseille suffered a major setback with a 2-1 defeat to Lens, a result that cost them the top spot in the French championship — now reclaimed by Paris Saint-Germain. Under Gennaro Gattuso, the Marseille side struggled to recover from costly defensive errors that determined the outcome.

PSG had already raised the pressure earlier in the weekend with a 3-0 win over Brest, forcing Marseille to respond. However, after their recent Champions League loss to Sporting CP (2-1), the warning signs were already flashing. Once again, the pattern repeated: a bright start followed by a painful collapse.

In-form Englishman Mason Greenwood opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a powerful right-footed strike from outside the box — his seventh goal of the season. But the joy didn’t last long. Lens fought back fiercely, capitalizing on Marseille’s mistakes to turn the game around and climb past them in the standings.

Pavard Turns from Hero to Villain

The night belonged, unfortunately, to Benjamin Pavard — for all the wrong reasons. In the 23rd minute, the French defender conceded a penalty after fouling Odsonne Édouard inside the box. Édouard coolly converted the spot-kick with a cheeky Panenka to level the score.

Things went from bad to worse for Pavard early in the second half. Attempting to clear a corner kick taken by Adrien Thomasson, he inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net, sealing a nightmare performance and the 2-1 scoreline.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tried to rescue a point with a long-range effort, but Robin Risser was equal to the task. In stoppage time, Gerónimo Rulli prevented a heavier defeat with a crucial save against Mamadou Sangaré.

With this result, Olympique de Marseille drop to third place, handing the league lead to PSG, while Lens climb to second. It was a bitter night for Pavard, whose misfortunes defined the fate of his team.