Lens seek to build on flying start as Strasbourg face early Ligue 1 test

Lens will look to maintain their impressive start to the 2026-27 campaign when they visit Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Saturday, 29 August.

The match at Stade de la Meinau is scheduled to kick off at 15:15 GMT and will be part of the second round of fixtures in France’s top flight. The game will be shown in France on Ligue 1+, in the United States and Canada on beIN SPORTS, in Sub-Saharan Africa on Canal+ Sport, and in the Middle East and North Africa on beIN SPORTS.

The fixture has traditionally been closely contested. Across 104 meetings, Strasbourg have won 42 times, Lens have recorded 31 victories and the remaining 31 matches have ended in draws.

Recent history, however, favours Lens. The Sang et Or have lost only once in their past eight matches against the Alsatian club.

The two sides met twice in Ligue 1 last season. Lens won 1-0 at Bollaert in the 13th round of fixtures, while the return match at Stade de la Meinau ended 1-1 on matchday 24.

Contrasting starts to the season

Strasbourg’s opening fixture of the new Ligue 1 campaign could hardly have gone worse. They travelled to the Velodrome to face Marseille and were reduced to 10 men shortly after half-time when Samir El Mourabet was shown a red card.

The hosts took full advantage of the numerical advantage, with Strasbourg eventually suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat. The dismissal remains an additional concern for a squad seeking an immediate response on home soil.

Lens, by contrast, began the season with two highly encouraging results. They first defeated PSG 1-0 to win the Trophee des Champions, before producing an emphatic attacking display against Auxerre in their opening Ligue 1 match.

The Sang et Or won that game 5-2, giving them the perfect start to their league campaign and further strengthening the belief around the club.

That form makes Lens the favourites to claim a second successive league victory. Their success against PSG, the five-goal performance against Auxerre and their strong recent record against Strasbourg have all contributed to the expectation that they can continue their momentum.

Strasbourg must find a way to recover from the Marseille defeat and cope with the effect of El Mourabet’s sending-off. Lens, meanwhile, will aim to underline their credentials as potential contenders from the earliest stage of the season.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 2-1 victory for Lens.

The betting company 1xBet has published odds for the fixture, with the home victory listed at 3.40, a draw at 3.60 and a Lens win at 2.14.