Lens Top Ligue 1 Summit As Aguilar's Late Volley Seals 1-0 Win Over Le Havre

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Lens moved back to the Ligue 1 summit with a 1-0 win over Le Havre, as Ruben Aguilar struck in first-half stoppage time, putting pressure on Paris Saint-Germain before the trip to Strasbourg on Sunday and briefly lifting Pierre Sage's side above the defending champions.

The victory followed a setback against Marseille, which ended Lens' sequence of 10 straight league wins and dropped Pierre Sage's team to second place, but this narrow success restored momentum and underlined Lens' title push in a tight Ligue 1 race with PSG.

Lens again showed strong defensive structure, collecting an eighth clean sheet in this Ligue 1 season, with only PSG on 10 and Lyon on nine registering more shut-outs, while across Europe's top five leagues, only Roma with 13 and PSG with 15 have allowed fewer goals than Pierre Sage's squad.

Le Havre created little against that organisation, finishing with eight shots and just 0.47 expected goals, while Lens attempted 15 efforts worth 2.14 expected goals, reflecting dominance in both territory and chance quality, even though the scoreline at Stade Bollaert-Delelis stayed tight throughout.

From kick-off, Lens controlled possession and territory, forcing Lionel Mpasi into several early interventions, including a low block from Florian Thauvin when played through on goal and a strong two-handed stop to deflect Malang Sarr's long-range strike away from danger on the rebound.

The breakthrough arrived in the first minute of added time before the interval, when Lens moved play to Matthieu Udol on the left, whose deep delivery deceived Lionel Mpasi, allowing Ruben Aguilar to arrive unmarked at the back post and guide a controlled volley inside the far corner.

Le Havre responded after the break and threatened an equaliser on 54 minutes, when Arouna Sangante met a delivery with a firm attempt, but Robin Risser reacted sharply, producing a reflex save that preserved Lens' advantage and highlighted the host team's disciplined defensive display.

Lens thought a second goal had arrived later in the half when Adrien Thomasson forced the ball over the line after Wesley Said attempted an overhead kick, but following a VAR check, officials ruled Said had mishit the acrobatic effort and handled the ball before it reached Thomasson.

The result keeps Lens firmly in the Ligue 1 title picture, with the clean sheet record and underlying defensive numbers supporting their challenge, while Le Havre leave Bollaert-Delelis frustrated after a stronger second period but unable to convert improved pressure into a point.