Sotoca and Facundo Medina Bring Lens Closer to Europe
Rebounding to victory after two consecutive draws, thanks to the accuracy of Florian Sotoca and the Argentine Facundo Medina, Lens moved closer to the European zone in the 10th round of Ligue 1 in France this weekend.
The team managed by Franck Haise, who will face Sevilla in the Champions League, has now gone five matches without a loss and managed to defeat Nantes at the Bollaert Delelis stadium. Nantes was higher in the league table and had entered the match after two consecutive victories.
Florian Sotoca, especially from the penalty spot, led the way, with support from the Argentine Facundo Medina.
However, the visiting defender Jean Charles Castelletto did not have a good day, as he conceded the two penalties. The first one came as a result of a foul on Adrien Thomasson. Sotoca converted it from the spot. The second penalty was awarded for a handball late in the game, as Morgan Guilavoghi's shot was blocked. Sotoca converted it as well, and just ten minutes earlier, he had assisted Facundo Medina in scoring the second goal.
Facundo Medina received the ball at the edge of the box and struck a powerful shot that the goalkeeper Alban Lafont couldn't reach. In the final minute, Neil El Aynaoui scored the fourth goal to complete the rout.
The victory places Lens in ninth position, just two places and two points behind Nantes, who are in seventh place, right on the edge of the European competition zone.