Ligue 1 title hopefuls Lens are the last group of humans capable of competing with Paris Saint-Germain's 'Avengers' for the Ligue 1 title, says Le Havre coach Didier Digard.

Lens sit second in the French top flight after 19 games, two points adrift of PSG and five clear of third-placed Marseille.

Pierre Sage's team were top of the pile until last week, when a 3-1 defeat to Marseille brought an end to their club-record run of 10 straight victories in all competitions.

That streak, which dated back to late October and included eight Ligue 1 victories, helped them become just the fourth different club to reach 43 points through 18 matchdays in a season in the last 40 years (after PSG, Lyon and Nice). 

Le Havre, by contrast, are treading water in 15th place, just eight points clear of the relegation zone, ahead of Friday's trip to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

"It's always the same. If they had won, we would be questioning how we could defeat a team on a streak of eight or nine consecutive victories," Digard said.

"That's something that is mind-blowing. And now that they lost, we say, 'they're going to be out for revenge.' 

"We have to make up the numbers, so we're going to focus on ourselves. It's going to be a tough match, they are the only humans capable of competing with The Avengers today!"

Lens previously finished as runners-up to PSG in 2022-23, before finishes of seventh and eighth followed in the next two campaigns.

And though sporting director Jean-Louis Leca is wary of talking up their title prospects, he is adamant Champions League qualification is a realistic goal.

"We have the ambition to do it," Leca told RTL. "At the beginning of the year, the objectives were not to finish in the top three. 

"Now, when we look back at the past six months, we can set ourselves this ambition. 

"We want to play in the Champions League, and we all hope that it will be the most beautiful end to the season.

"Let's continue to be what we have been, let's continue to be calm and let's continue to work with the same energy, then, I don't see why it wouldn't come to pass."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lens – Adrien Thomasson 

Thomasson has created 42 chances in Ligue 1 for Lens this season, the joint-most in the competition along with Ilan Kebbal of Paris FC.

Seventeen of those chances created have come from set-plays, the third-most of any player, behind Toulouse's Aron Donnum (20) and Lens team-mate Florian Thauvin (18).

And Lens have scored more goals from set-plays than any other team in Ligue 1 this season (13) – only Nice (three) have scored fewer from these scenarios than Le Havre (four).

Le Havre – Felix Mambimbi

Each of Le Havre's last six goals in Ligue 1 have been scored by a different player, with Abdoulaye Toure, Arouna Sangante, Gautier Lloris, Kenny Quetant, Noam Obougou and Mambimbi all on target.

Mambimbi scored their most recent goal, in a 1-1 draw with Rennes two weeks ago, and he will be keen to make an impact here.

MATCH PREDICTION – LENS WIN

Lens have won just one of their last eight home league games against Le Havre (D4 L3), earning a 1-0 victory in November 2016, in Ligue 2.

And Le Havre are also unbeaten in their last three Ligue 1 matches (W1 D2), having lost three of their previous four (D1).

However, this current iteration of Lens are a different beast, and they are strong favourites on home soil.

Lens have lost just one of their last nine Ligue 1 matches (W8), though this was their most recent fixture, away at Marseille on January 24. Lens have not lost two top-flight games in a row since a four-match losing streak in February and March 2025.

Only Roma (13) and PSG (15) have conceded fewer goals than Lens (16) in Europe's top five leagues this season, and the visitors might find it difficult to break them down.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Lens – 63.4%

Le Havre – 17%

Draw – 19.6%