Ligue 1 2022/23: Lens’ top three tactical keys to dominance in 5-2 thrashing of Lorient – tactical analysis

Lens have got the 2022/23 campaign off to a flying start, taking four wins and one draw from their opening five games. This puts them on 13 points, level with PSG and Marseille at the summit of France’s top flight. It’s still early days, but that’s certainly not bad company for Franck Haise’s team.

Lens, who also sit second on the Ligue 1 table for expected goal difference — an indicator of the quality of their performances thus far in 2022/23 — haven’t just achieved their position on the table through luck, rather it’s a well-earned placement for one of France’s most exciting teams at present; they’re a well-rounded side packed full of talent in all areas led by a coach who’s earned the right to be ranked among the very best that Ligue 1 has to offer over the last few seasons with what he’s built at Estadio Bollaert-Delelis.

Les Sang et Or’s most recent Ligue 1 game occurred on Wednesday evening, as Lens hosted Lorient. The visitors could also call themselves one of Ligue 1’s in-form sides going into this game as they had been undefeated in their opening three games of the campaign. This fact just makes Lens’ dominant 5-2 victory over Les Merlus that much more impressive.

Bar a couple of goals on either side of half-time courtesy of Lorient goalscorer Terem Moffi — one of Ligue 1’s best strikers who made himself a nuisance for Lens’ centre-backs in the box and put on an exquisite centre-forward display to make it look like Lorient could actually take something from this game — Lens were in full control of this match and spent the majority of it toying with their fellow top-flight competitors.

Lens delivered a great performance on the night, managing the game well and Haise deserves as much praise as anyone for the team’s dominant display. This tactical analysis piece aims to provide an analysis of how Lens were tactically superior to Lorient on Wednesday evening. We’ll provide analysis of both teams’ respective tactics and strategies for this match while looking in detail at three specific key areas that propelled Lens to their resounding victory.

Lineups

As shown in figure 1, Lens lined up in a 3-4-2-1 shape for this fixture — one of the more typical formations that Haise deploys with the 51-year-old coach having been a major advocate of a three-centre-back system throughout his time at Estadio Bollaert-Delelis.

Lens’ starting eleven was as follows; GK: Brice Samba, RCB: Jonathan Gradit, CB: Kevin Danso, LCB: Facundo Medina, RWB: Jimmy Cabot, LWB: Deiver Machado, RCM Salis Abdul Samed, LCM: Łukasz Poręba, RW: David Costa, LW: Wesley Saïd, CF: Florian Sotoca.