Lens vs Lorient preview - Lemoigne looking for Lens lifeline

Posted Saturday, April 11, 2015 by PA

Midfielder Jerome Lemoigne is desperate for rock-bottom Lens to give themselves a glimmer of hope for Ligue 1 survival with a win over Lorient on Sunday.

Lemoigne's side have managed just one win in their last 12 league matches since the turn of the year and sit nine points adrift of safety behind 17th-placed Lorient, who travel to the Stade de la Licorne having won only one of their last five themselves.

After a chastening defeat to high-flying Marseille, Lens thought they had secured a point last week at Bordeaux only to see it snatched away in stoppage time, and Lemoigne knows they have to bounce back quickly from that disappointment.

"We have to take all three points on Sunday. A win would do us much good for morale, especially after the frustration after the defeat to Bordeaux," he told the club's website.

Lens manager Antoine Kombouare tried to take a step back from piling pressure on ahead of Sunday but had to acknowledge it is a huge game.

"If we lose Sunday, our situation will be even more complicated, but it's not a matter of life or death," he said.

"In any case, the motto for us is not to look at the standings, not to mention maintenance. Avoid adding that kind of pressure. What is important is to do everything possible to win the game. Victory is imperative."

Lorient travel to northern France on the back of a poor 3-0 defeat to Rennes on home soil last week and coach Sylvain Ripoll is expecting to see more from his side in the first of two big six-pointers for them, with them set to face 18th-placed Toulouse next week.

"There are lot of challenges, that's obvious. These are two matches against direct competitors, we must take the points," he told L'Equipe.

"We expect a strong reaction at Lens. These matches can have serious consequences, but there is no reason to be inhibited."