Strasbourg bounced back from a humbling 4-0 defeat to Marseille by beating Lens 2-1 at the Stade de la Meinau, securing their first Ligue 1 win of the season. The victory ended a difficult opening week and gave head coach Hugo Oliveira his first win since taking charge of the club.
The turnaround was built on the performance of Moroccan forward Yassine Gessime, who scored twice to overturn a first-half deficit. Lens had taken the lead through a Florian Thauvin penalty in the 38th minute, putting Strasbourg under early pressure again after their heavy defeat in Marseille. Gessime responded three minutes into the second half, converting an equalizer that shifted the momentum of the match. He then struck again in the 85th minute, giving Strasbourg the lead they would not relinquish.
Both goals were Gessime’s first for Strasbourg, making his contribution even more significant. For a player still settling into the squad, scoring the equalizer and the winner in the same match is a strong statement of his attacking value. His movement and composure in front of goal stood out as key differences between this performance and the one against Marseille, where Strasbourg failed to register a shot that troubled the opposition defense in a meaningful way. Gessime has been widely regarded as a rising star of the Moroccan national team, often referred to as the Atlas Lions, a group that has also drawn attention for the emergence of Abdessamad Ezzalzouli as a dynamic winger in recent years.
The defeat to Marseille had been shaped by goals from Amine Gouiri, who scored twice, along with strikes from Keyliane Abdallah and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. That result left Strasbourg needing an immediate response, and they found it against Lens through a mix of resilience and improved finishing.
For Oliveira, the win offers early evidence that his side can recover after conceding first, a trait that will matter over a long Ligue 1 season. The comeback also eases some of the pressure generated by the opening-day loss and gives the squad a psychological boost heading into the coming fixtures.
Gessime’s performance will likely draw attention beyond Strasbourg, given his Moroccan nationality and the broader interest in Moroccan players competing in Europe’s top leagues. His early impact suggests he could become an important attacking option for the club as the season progresses.
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