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PARIS: RC Lens reclaimed the lead atop Ligue 1 on Saturday with a Wesley Said-inspired 5-0 romp over Paris FC, while a late penalty condemned Olympique de Marseille to a draw with Strasbourg.
A third consecutive league victory, coupled with Paris Saint-Germain slipping up 3-1 at Rennes on Friday, sent Pierre Sage’s side one point clear of the champions.
Braces by Said and Rayan Fofana, either side of a Florian Thauvin penalty, moved Lens to 52 points, while struggling PFC remain in 15th place, eight points above the relegation zone.
The visitors tore out of the blocks at Stade Jean-Bouin as Said hit the post and Florian Thauvin had a goal disallowed for offside inside the opening quarter-hour.
But they were not to be contained for long as Odsonne Edouard teed up Said to open the scoring in the 24th minute.
Edouard was then denied by the flag minutes later, before Said doubled Lens’ advantage seven minutes before the break when he capped off a fine team move with a flashing finish into the top corner.
2018 World Cup winner Thauvin made the points safe just shy of the hour as he slammed home from the spot after Otavio had fouled Saud Abdulhamid.
Fofana and Allan Saint-Maximin, on in place of Edouard and Said, continued the tormenting of PFC as they combined to add two goals in stoppage time.
Earlier on Saturday, Marseille began life after Roberto De Zerbi with a 2-2 home draw with Strasbourg despite leading by two goals late into the second period.
The Italian coach left the south coast club earlier in the week following last Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing to fierce rivals PSG.
Goals from Mason Greenwood and Amine Gouiri seemed to be enough to give interim boss Jacques Abardonado a vital three points.
But Sebastian Nanasi’s second-half strike set up a nervy finale at the Stade Velodrome before Joaquin Panichelli converted a penalty deep into injury time.
The late collapse condemned Marseille to remaining in fourth place, 11 points off the pace.
The draw kept Gary O’Neil’s Strasbourg seventh in the table on 31 points.
Elsewhere, Lille climbed to fifth in the table, six points behind Marseille, with a 1-1 home draw against Brest thanks to Gaetan Perrin’s 71st-minute leveller for the hosts after Remy Labeau-Lascary had given the Breton side the lead earlier in the second half.
Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026
