Yassine’s first Ligue 1 goals give Strasbourg victory over Lens

Gessime Yassine scored twice to secure Strasbourg a 2-1 win over Lens and announce himself in Ligue 1 in emphatic fashion.

The 20-year-old Morocco international struck his first goals in the French top flight as Strasbourg recovered from falling behind to claim victory on Saturday, in the second round of the Campeonato Frances.

Lens took the lead in the 35th minute when Florian Thauvin converted a penalty. Strasbourg, beaten heavily by Marseille in their opening match, responded immediately after half-time and levelled three minutes after the restart.

Giovanni Reyna supplied Yassine, who finished the move in the 48th minute to bring the scores level. The young Moroccan then completed the turnaround with five minutes remaining, meeting a cross from Sebastian Nanasi to put the Alsatian side in front.

Yassine was a constant threat throughout the match and played the decisive role in Strasbourg’s success. Having joined the club from Dunkerque, he opened his Ligue 1 account with a performance that could prove significant for both his own development and Strasbourg’s season.

His goals were particularly important after Strasbourg began the campaign with a 4-0 defeat by Marseille on the opening day. Victory over Lens gives the club an immediate response and provides an early boost following that difficult start.

For Yassine, the brace represents a significant moment as he seeks to establish himself at the highest level of French football. The Morocco international will now hope his contribution against Lens marks the beginning of a sustained spell in Strasbourg’s first team.

The result also underlined the extent of the turnaround within the match. Lens appeared to be on course for victory after Thauvin’s first-half penalty, but Strasbourg changed the momentum after the interval through Yassine’s equaliser before the forward delivered again late on.

His second goal, created by Nanasi’s cross, completed a memorable afternoon for a player who had arrived from Dunkerque looking to make his mark in the top division. Yassine’s decisive contribution ensured Strasbourg left the match with all three points and gave the club a positive answer to its opening-day disappointment.