Could Lens win Ligue 1? How the surprise package are standing up to PSG

On February 8 Ousmane Dembele declared Paris Saint-Germain back to their treble-winning best after a 5-0 win over Marseille, yet PSG find themselves second in the table with Lens leading as just 12 rounds remain. Lens have been almost unrecognisable under Pierre Sage, who succeeded Will Still last summer.

Sage arrived expecting a relegation scrap and has repeatedly downplayed title talk, saying "The title isn't on my mind" and that the club will now think about the Conference League. His players disagree: "We are in a good position to fight for the title - we are not going to hide it," Odsonne Edouard said.

The squad looks more complete than a year ago after a summer of sales and smart buys. Adrien Thomasson believes the team is "more balanced" and nearly all signings have made an instant impact: Robin Risser, Matthieu Udol and Florian Thauvin have impressed, while Mamadou Sangare and Samso Baidoo have drawn attention from Premier League clubs.

France, Lens

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