PLAYER RATINGS | Lens 1-0 Marseille: Jonathan Gradit nets dramatic late winner to lift Lens to sixth

Ligue 1, Round 12, 12/11/23

In a game devoid of clear-cut chances, Jonathan Gradit netted a dramatic late winner as RC Lens beat Olympique de Marseille (1-0) at the Bollaert on Sunday. 

It has been a low-scoring gameweek in Ligue 1, and the first half afforded little hope for this match being an exception to the rule. It was a half played in fits and starts with fouls preventing the game from gaining any rhythm. Elye Wahi had the only chance of the half, but his shot from the edge of the box was rushed and went comfortably wide of Pau Lopez’s right-hand post. 

The second half was hardly any better in an attacking sense. Wahi and Neil El Aynaoui, making his first Ligue 1 start, had half chances but neither good direct their headers on goal. Amine Harit then had a good chance to open the scoring, but he lacked the composure to finish the move that he had himself started, blazing over from inside the box. 

The first major chance then came in the 99th minute. Wesley Saïd brought the ball down in the box before getting off an effort that beat Pau Lopez, but not Jordan Veretout, who was in the right position to block on the line. The Frenchman was on the line for a corner just two minutes later, but he couldn’t do anything about Gradit’s header. The Bollaert erupted. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but Lens sealed the three points, which sees them rise to sixth. Marseille go into the international break in the bottom half of the table. 

Brice Samba – 6 – didn’t have a lot to do but was up to the task whenever he was called upon. His distribution, as always, was massively impressive. 

Facundo Medina – 5

Kevin Danso – 6

Jonathan Gradit – 7 – the Frenchman was solid defensively and was also the hero. A striker would have been proud of