Lens vs Arsenal

Stade Bollaert-Delelis hosts the first Champions League meeting between Lens and Arsenal in the 21st century.

Lens marked their Champions League return after a 21-year absence with a hard-earned 1-1 draw against Europa League specialists Sevilla in their Group B opener. That result proved a turning point, as ‘Les Sang et Or’ notably turned their fortunes around since returning from Andalusia, going from six consecutive winless games at the start of 2023/24 (D2, L4) to back-to-back wins via a single-goal margin. Though it’s been over two decades since the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens can rest easy knowing they’ve only lost one of their six previous Champions League home matches (W3, D2). That run includes a 1-1 draw against none other than Arsenal back in the 1998/99 group stages, where they held the ‘Gunners’ winless in both H2Hs (W1, D1).

Visiting Arsenal will be keen to return the favor after thumping PSV Eindhoven 4-0 in their first Champions League match since 2016/17, extending their unbeaten streak in the competition’s group stages to nine (W7, D2). Yet to lose a competitive game this season (W7, D3 – 90 minutes only), Mikel Arteta’s men have shrugged off the stress after a 2-2 North London derby draw against Tottenham with back-to-back wins over Brentford and Bournemouth by a combined score of 5-0. The ‘Gunners’ have impressively won all four competitive away matches this season ‘to nil,’ though three of those four triumphs yielded the same 1-0 scoreline. Another victory looms, with Arsenal being denied three points away from home only once in their last four Champions League travels to meet French clubs (W3, D1).