five things to know before Angers [J26]

Tenth in Ligue 1 after their draw against Lyon (1-1) last weekend, RC Lens will try to stay on their good run at the moment on the lawn of Angers, a team against whom Lens only loses rarely but often conceded points all the same. Discover the information to know before the meeting.

Rarely a winner

Between RC Lens and Angers SCO, the tendency is very often for a draw between two teams who rarely manage to decide. Of the last eleven official matches played between the two teams, seven have ended in a draw after regulation time. Nevertheless, on the sequence, Angers have won more times than Lens with three successes – the most recent in November 2020 (3-1) – for a defeat in December 2013 (2-1), in Ligue 2. At the time, Yoann Touzghar and Daniel Ljuboja on penalties gave victory to the future promoted to Ligue 1.

A referee who smiled at RC Lens

Referee of the meeting this Sunday, Thomas Léonard has already officiated on a match of RC Lens and Angers this season. Coincidentally, each time it was against Troyes. If for Angers it was marked by a draw (1-1) and a contentious but favorable decision at the end of the game to cancel a goal for Les Troyens, for the Lensois it was a much better memory. The reception of ESTAC has indeed the last “blood and gold” success in the league in 2021 (4-0).

Three players under threat of suspension

Three players could soon be suspended if given a warning this Sunday. Florian SotocaPrzemyslaw Frankowski et Facundo Medina are all one yellow card away from triggering the automatic suspension for accumulating yellow cards over the last ten official matches played. In the event of a warning for one of these three players, it is the trip to the lawn of Metz, on March 13, which would then be missed.

Angers in difficulty at home

Impressive at the start of the season on its Raymond Kopa lawn, the SCO can no longer really do it at home. Since December, the Angevins have lost four times out of the five matches played at home. Monaco (1-3), Clermont (0-1), Saint-Etienne (0-1) and Strasbourg (0-1) all came to win in the formation led by Gérald Baticle who nevertheless managed to win against Troyes (2-1), in mid-January.

Lens is moving well in Anjou

Trips to Angers often rhyme with positive results for Artesians. Of the seven matches played in Angers since the 1993-1994 season, the Lensois have only suffered defeat once, in February 2013 (2-3). Twice in the lead, Lens cracked in added time on goals from El Jadeyaoui and Ayari. Besides that, there are two wins and three draws as well as qualification after extra time in the Ligue 1 cup in August 2013 (2-1).

Adrian Rocher

–