Sawt Falasteen - Thauvin on target again as Lens remain top in France

The modest northern club with a large regional support base climbed top for the first time in 21 years last weekend, and will remain top regardless of Paris Saint-Germain's result against Rennes.

PSG will however welcome back 20-year-old star Desire Doue for Saturday's late game.

Lens sit top with 34 points, PSG have 30, and Marseille and Lille both have 29 after Lille edged OM 1-0 on Friday.

Former Marseille and Newcastle attacking-midfielder Florian Thauvin set Lens on their way to this fifth straight league win on 34 minutes and Wesley Saïd scored the winner on 81 after Nantes had levelled on 38 through Youssef El-Arabi.

The 32-year-old Thauvin won the World Cup with France in 2018 but has been largely in the international wilderness since, playing two years at Tigres in Mexico and signing for Lens this season after two solid seasons at Udinese.

He has five League goals this season and also scored on his first France appearance in six years after replacing Kylian Mbappe against Azerbaijan.

After four consecutive defeats Nice play Angers at home on Sunday, looking to end a dire run on the pitch and tensions between the team and supporters off it.

N.Awad--SF-PST