Lens complete late comeback to beat Slavia Prague

Lens opened their Champions League campaign with a victory that halted the momentum of two successive Ligue 1 defeats. Their return to Europe’s elite competition looked set to end in disappointment before a dramatic finish turned the match in their favour.

Slavia Prague led twice, but Lens won 3-2 in the Czech capital. Sturm put the hosts ahead in the 51st minute, shortly after Slavia were reduced to 10 men when Konecny was sent off for stopping Sima as the last defender. Sima equalised in the 74th minute, only for Sturm to restore Slavia’s advantage two minutes from time.

Lens refused to settle for a damaging defeat. Captain Florian Thauvin headed in the equaliser in the 90th minute, and Aguilar completed the turnaround three minutes into stoppage time. The result gives Dino Toppmöller’s side an ideal start to their fourth Champions League participation and ends the poor run that had followed league losses to Strasbourg and Lorient.

Thauvin was central to the recovery, providing leadership and quality during Lens’s difficult spell and then scoring the second equaliser. The result also rewards the visitors’ decision to keep attacking after levelling for the first time, rather than protecting a draw.