Auxerre have everything to play for on the final day of the Ligue 1 season when they welcome Lens to the Stade Abbe Deschamps where the away side are set to finish second to the champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite losing the league title to PSG in the past week, it has been a fantastic campaign for Lens. In fact, after spending eight of the past 15 seasons in Ligue 2, this is set to be their highest finish in the French top flight since 2001/02 when they finished second with 18 wins.
🎯 Encore toi Rayan ?! 😃#TeamAJA pic.twitter.com/gT8K8DPlx3— AJ Auxerre (@AJA) June 1, 2023
🎯 Encore toi Rayan ?! 😃#TeamAJA pic.twitter.com/gT8K8DPlx3
This year, Lens have gone on to win 24 matches and lose only four times, meaning no side, even PSG, have lost fewer games than them.
What's more, they sit as one of the best defensive sides across Europe this campaign with just 28 goals let in - only Barcelona have a better defensive output this season. As well as this, it’s the same amount of goals let in as Napoli.
It's quite an incredible feat, and Lens are now set to finish second with their gap of eight points on Marseille before the final game. They are also just four behind PSG, and a win for Lens here and a loss for PSG would end them brutally close to the top spot on the final day.
Lens have managed to win all their games since a loss to the champions that all but ended their hopes of a Ligue 1 title. They've gone on to smash Monaco 3-0, beat Toulouse 1-0 and also defeat Marseille 2-1 to all but secure second spot back then.
Further wins over Reims, Lorient and Ajaccio put them as the most in-form side across Ligue 1 on the final day of the season.
Although there is nothing to play for with Lens on the last day, for Auxerre, they are still fighting for their life and playing against a vengeful Lens is not the ideal matchup for them.
Ahead of this game, Auxerre are sitting just two ahead of Nantes in the table and with an inferior goals difference to Nantes, Auxerre must match or better the result of the 17th-placed side or face a drop into Ligue 2.
Simply put, a draw for Auxerre and a win for Nantes would throw them into the second tier.
Forebet predicts a win for Lens in this one, however, and for the game to see under 2.5 goals.