Le Mans vs RC Lens

Le Mans host RC Lens on 13 September in a Ligue 1 fixture that means more than a typical Matchday 4 clash. Le Mans, back in the top flight after 16 years away, are still chasing a first win and sit in the bottom half after two draws and a loss. Lens, fresh off last season's Coupe de France triumph, arrive with greater pedigree but have cooled off after a fast start. Le Mans have shown fight without breaking through, drawing with Brest and Nice either side of a narrow defeat at Rennes, with new forward Adil Bourabaa among the scorers. Lens announced themselves with a 5-2 demolition of Auxerre, Florian Thauvin scoring twice, but back-to-back losses to Strasbourg and Lorient have followed, putting pressure on Odsonne Édouard to deliver up front. Given Le Mans's long absence from Ligue 1, the two sides have little recent head-to-head history to draw on. Our prediction: 1-2