Eye-pleasing Lens beat Troyes 1-0 to top Ligue 1

Updated: May 17, 2023, 04:54 am

RC Lens moved into provisional first place in the Ligue 1 standings after a first-half Kevin Danso goal earned a 1-0 home win against Troyes on Friday.

Franck Haise's team went all guns blazing as usual to get a result that put them on 17 points from seven matches, one ahead of champions Paris St Germain who host Stade Brest on Saturday.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Lens played their usual attacking football and came close to scoring after six minutes when Lois Openda hit the post.

They were rewarded, however, six minutes before the break when Danso headed home from Przemyslaw Frankowski's cross.

Troyes went up a gear after the break and Brice Samba had to fully stretch to deny Mama Balde just before the hour.

Lens applied more pressure and Florian Sotoca's fierce strike hit the bar in the 68th minute.

They wasted another couple of chances but the visitors, who are 11th on seven points, had run out of gas in the finale and were never in position to end Lens's unbeaten run.