LENS: Teenage substitute Mezian Mesloub scored with his first touch to earn RC Lens a 1-0 home win over Nantes on Friday, a result which keeps their slim Ligue 1 title hopes alive and relegated Nantes to Ligue 2 after 13 successive seasons in the top flight.

Mesloub was sprung from the bench with 11 minutes left, and the 16-year-old marked his senior debut in style by netting the winner which moves Lens to 67 points, three behind leaders Paris St-Germain who have a game in hand.

Nantes’ only hope of survival was a win to remain in with a chance of finishing 16th which would earn them a relegation playoff, but they will finish the season second from bottom. They have 23 points, five behind Auxerre with one game left.

Lens’ victory, which guarantees them Champions League football, means PSG cannot clinch their 14th league title when they host Brest on Sunday, and Lens will host the leaders on Wednesday before the season finale next weekend.

Hit by injuries, Lens manager Pierre Sage called Mesloub up to the senior squad for the first time, and with time running out, the youngster turned out to be the trump card, despite not even having his name on the back of his jersey.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2026