Lens overturn Slavia Prague in a dramatic, stunning finish

For their return to the Champions League, RC Lens overturned Slavia Prague (2-3) on Thursday evening at the Fortuna Arena in the Czech Republic. The Blood and Gold, reduced to ten men from the 49th minute, secured the win in stoppage time, giving their supporters an unforgettable evening.

Start of the second half and comeback

After a first half of observation that ended scoreless, the match turned at the 49th minute when Czech defender Mikulas Konecny was sent off after a direct red card. Two minutes later, Slavia Prague surprised the Lens players by taking the lead thanks to Danijel Strum (51'). Dino Toppmöller's men then had to play ten against eleven for most of the second half.

Stoppage time, the final comeback

The Lens players responded quickly: Abdallah Sima equalised with a close-range strike (73'), restoring hope for their supporters. Slavia Prague reclaimed the lead in the 88th minute with a second goal from Danijel Strum, suggesting a late victory. In a wild amount of stoppage time, Florian Thauvin first levelled the scores (90+1 or 90+3 depending on sources), before Ruben Aguilar scored the decisive goal (90+3 or 90+5), sealing RC Lens's stunning success.

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This victory marks RC Lens's first away win in the Champions League since 1998, a feat praised by supporters and the media. The Blood and Gold displayed exceptional resilience, turning a disadvantageous situation into a memorable triumph.

Among the notable performances, Abdallah Sima was twice decisive, Florian Thauvin led the attacks and scored the equaliser, while Mezian Mesloub injected energy into the game after coming on. Conversely, Souleymane Sagnan endured a difficult evening, and Franjo Ivanovic remained a ghost, touching only a few balls.