Each line is generated from a finding that cleared its evidence bar; nothing here is a generic coaching point. The grey line says what it rests on; the button opens the sequences.
Copy the sides that escaped it: Monaco got out 65% (long on 15%), Strasbourg got out 62% (long on 43%).
Average escape rate against them is 45%.
If they go ahead, expect more direct play: win the second balls rather than press their first line.
When leading their long-ball build-up exits rise to 37% (from 19% when level).
Avoid conceding corners; mark Matthieu Udol first.
27% of their corners end in a shot; first contacts: Matthieu Udol (3), Abdallah Sima (2), Florian Thauvin (2).
Where each player takes the ball in each phase of their possession, and who passes to whom. Event data has no off-ball positions, so this is the shape of their touches — the standard event-data proxy. A phase is defined by where the ball is, so the dots sit inside that phase's third (shaded): read the order and the width, not the depth of each line. Lens attack left to right.
attacking → · shaded = the build-up zone
429 build-up phases. Dot = the median spot of a player's touches in this phase; size = share of touches; lines = consecutive touches between two players.
attacking → · shaded = the progression zone
608 progression phases. Dot = the median spot of a player's touches in this phase; size = share of touches; lines = consecutive touches between two players.
attacking → · shaded = the final third zone
461 final third phases. Dot = the median spot of a player's touches in this phase; size = share of touches; lines = consecutive touches between two players.
Tackles, interceptions, recoveries, blocks, challenges and fouls in the opponent's final 40%.
189 in the window. The press on a build-up = the first two rows: 45 (5.6 a match).
| source | times | share | per match | shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| press: settled build-up taken off them | 40 | 21% | 5.0 | 5% | |
| press: their restart forced into an error before they settled | 5 | 3% | 0.6 | 0% | |
| counter-press: won straight back after losing it | 15 | 8% | 1.9 | 13% | |
| second ball: the opponent touched it but never controlled it | 129 | 68% | 16.1 | 26% | |
| ↳ rebound after their own shot (saved or blocked) | 18 | 10% | 2.2 | 22% | |
| ↳ their cross / ball into the box, cleared | 65 | 34% | 8.1 | 28% | |
| ↳ their long ball, only headed or touched away | 8 | 4% | 1.0 | 0% | |
| ↳ after their own throw-in / set piece | 8 | 4% | 1.0 | 38% | |
| ↳ loose ball in their combination play (pass blocked or tackled) | 30 | 16% | 3.8 | 27% |
| opponent was | share | league | rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| passing forward | 26% | 23% | 9 / 18 | |
| dribbling or a loose touch | 23% | 28% | 14 / 18 | |
| passing to a full-back | 12% | 18% | 14 / 18 | |
| passing back | 7% | 2% | 1 / 18 | |
| passing sideways | 7% | 6% | 8 / 18 | |
| passing to the keeper | 7% | 2% | 1 / 18 | |
| going long | 5% | 7% | 13 / 18 | |
| taking a throw-in | 2% | 4% | 12 / 18 | |
| a loose ball | 0% | 0% | 1 / 18 |
The opponents who went long most (31% of build-ups) got out 49% of the time; those who mostly played short (15% long) got out 44%. That is a lean, not proven at 20 matches (p=0.6232).
Best escapes: Monaco 65%; Strasbourg 62%; Troyes 60%. One dot per match; hover for the opponent.
Most often started by Ruben Aguilar (12), Michaël Cuisance (9), Thorgan Hazard (9), Kyllian Antonio (9).
| lost in | losses | won back within 5s | led to a shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| own third | 47 | 32% | 9% |
| midfield | 172 | 31% | 2% |
| final third | 280 | 24% | 1% |
16.1 opponent attacks per match after winning the ball in open play that broke forward fast or reached the final third. Shading and % = share of the xG they produced, by the channel they used. Lens's goal is on the left. Central attacks carry more xG for every team, so compare with Lens's own attacking xG in the same kind of channel (centre, or the average flank): centre 44% conceded vs 34% own, right 29% conceded vs 33% own, left 27% conceded vs 33% own.
Every real turnover, named by the situation it came from. "Fast" = the side with the ball reached the final third within 10 seconds. Only real turnovers appear here: for everything the press wins high, including restarts it forced into an error, see "Every ball won in the opponent’s third" in the press section.
| type | times | share | fast | shot | xG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won high from a settled build-up (press) | 41 | 7%lg 5% | 29% | 2%lg 12% | 0.1 | |
| Won after their long possession (10+ passes) | 67 | 12%lg 11% | 13% | 6%lg 3% | 0.6 | |
| Won straight back after losing it (counter-press) | 67 | 12%lg 12% | 40% | 9%lg 6% | 0.6 | |
| Won by stopping their counter | 28 | 5%lg 4% | 18% | 0%lg 0% | 0.0 | |
| Won in midfield | 147 | 27%lg 24% | 33% | 5%lg 7% | 0.9 | |
| Won deep in own third | 183 | 33%lg 37% | 15% | 3%lg 3% | 0.4 | |
| Won from their set piece | 21 | 4%lg 5% | 14% | 5%lg 0% | 0.1 |
| type | times | share | opponent fast | shot against | xG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost in own build-up under pressure | 40 | 7%lg 5% | 52% | 5%lg 8% | 0.3 | |
| Lost after own long possession (10+ passes) | 83 | 15%lg 11% | 17% | 5%lg 3% | 0.4 | |
| Lost straight after winning it | 62 | 11%lg 12% | 34% | 3%lg 7% | 0.1 | |
| Lost during own counter | 23 | 4%lg 4% | 17% | 4%lg 0% | 0.1 | |
| Lost in midfield | 138 | 24%lg 25% | 31% | 4%lg 7% | 0.7 | |
| Lost in the final third (attack broke down) | 197 | 34%lg 36% | 12% | 5%lg 3% | 0.8 | |
| Lost from own set piece | 29 | 5%lg 5% | 10% | 0%lg 3% | 0.0 |
Every controlled possession is typed by how it was played, and every real turnover (a possession that was established and then lost) by what the losing side was doing, how it lost the ball and what the winner did next. "Settled" = sustained or worked possessions; "unsettled" = short, second-ball, counter and direct possessions.
| type | times | share | ended in a shot | avg passes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sustained circulation (10+ passes) | 107 | 15%lg 13% | 8%lg 12% | 14.3 | |
| worked possession (4-9 passes) | 215 | 31%lg 29% | 13%lg 9% | 6.1 | |
| direct attack | 61 | 9%lg 11% | 3%lg 3% | 1.7 | |
| short possession (0-3 passes) | 126 | 18%lg 22% | 2% | 1.6 |
| the side losing it was in… | times | fast attack | secured | lost straight back | can’t keep it | shot | xG | how it was lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sustained circulation (10+ passes) | 87 | 18% | 13% | 9% | 48% | 5% | 0.4 | pass cut out 46, long ball lost 21 | |
| worked possession (4-9 passes) | 157 | 18% | 12% | 7% | 52% | 4% | 0.7 | pass cut out 93, long ball lost 25 | |
| direct attack | 45 | 27% | 22% | 4% | 36% | 7% | 0.4 | pass cut out 20, long ball lost 20 | |
| short possession (0-3 passes) | 111 | 40% | 11% | 8% | 40% | 6% | 0.5 | pass cut out 58, bad touch 22 | |
| second-ball possession | 109 | 19% | 15% | 8% | 48% | 3% | 0.2 | pass cut out 65, long ball lost 15 | |
| counter / fast transition | 34 | 15% | 0% | 15% | 65% | 3% | 0.1 | pass cut out 21, bad touch 7 | |
| set piece | 29 | 10% | 24% | 3% | 59% | 0% | 0.0 | pass cut out 18, long ball lost 8 |
| mechanism | times | share | led to a shot against | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pass cut out | 321 | 56%lg 53% | 4% | |
| long ball lost | 107 | 19%lg 20% | 5% | |
| bad touch | 78 | 14%lg 14% | 5% | |
| failed dribble | 34 | 6%lg 6% | 0% | |
| tackled / dispossessed | 29 | 5%lg 6% | 3% |
| the opponent was in… | times | fast attack | secured | lost straight back | can’t keep it | shot | xG | how it was lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sustained circulation (10+ passes) | 70 | 13% | 14% | 9% | 57% | 6% | 0.6 | pass cut out 44, long ball lost 9 | |
| worked possession (4-9 passes) | 150 | 20% | 13% | 4% | 53% | 4% | 0.4 | pass cut out 98, long ball lost 24 | |
| direct attack | 50 | 36% | 18% | 12% | 32% | 4% | 0.1 | long ball lost 21, pass cut out 20 | |
| short possession (0-3 passes) | 142 | 33% | 11% | 4% | 49% | 6% | 0.6 | pass cut out 66, bad touch 26 | |
| second-ball possession | 82 | 23% | 13% | 5% | 49% | 4% | 0.5 | pass cut out 53, long ball lost 10 | |
| counter / fast transition | 39 | 15% | 18% | 15% | 46% | 3% | 0.3 | pass cut out 20, bad touch 8 | |
| set piece | 21 | 14% | 29% | 14% | 43% | 5% | 0.1 | pass cut out 14, long ball lost 5 |
Fast attack = their final third or box reached within 10s. Secured = kept 10s+ or 4+ passes. Lost straight back = controlled, then lost within 5s. Can’t keep it = won the ball but never got it under control (cleared it, headed it away, blocked it or lost it at once).
Each phase split into the situations it is made of, every row with its league median and clips. Shots are their own category: a possession that ends in a shot has finished, it has not lost the ball.
| type | times | share | got out | reached the box | lost in build-up | shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| from the keeper / goal kick, played out short | 56 | 24%lg 18% | 61% | 12% | 36% | 4% | |
| from the keeper / goal kick, went long (bypass) | 16 | 7%lg 10% | 44% | 31% | 50% | 12% | |
| from the keeper / goal kick, stuck / recycled | 15 | 6% | 0% | 7% | 33% | 13% | |
| from the back line, played out short | 22 | 9%lg 10% | 73% | 27% | 18% | 5% | |
| from the back line, went long (bypass) | 10 | 4%lg 4% | 50% | 20% | 40% | 0% | |
| from the back line, stuck / recycled | 6 | 3% | 0% | 17% | 33% | 0% | |
| from a throw-in, played out short | 16 | 7%lg 6% | 50% | 12% | 38% | 6% | |
| from a throw-in, stuck / recycled | 6 | 3% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 0% | |
| straight after winning it, played out short | 37 | 16%lg 18% | 73% | 30% | 22% | 14% | |
| straight after winning it, went long (bypass) | 24 | 10%lg 8% | 29% | 4% | 62% | 4% | |
| straight after winning it, stuck / recycled | 26 | 11% | 0% | 4% | 54% | 4% |
| outcome | times | share | opponent shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| won it high | 29 | 16%lg 11% | 0% | |
| forced long, then won it back | 31 | 17%lg 19% | 0% | |
| forced long, they kept it | 13 | 7%lg 6% | 46% | |
| they played through short | 61 | 33%lg 38% | 10% | |
| kept them stuck (recycled back) | 49 | 27%lg 26% | 4% |
Won high = the ball won in the opponent's own third. Forced long = the opponent left its third with a long ball (then either lost it in that possession, or kept it).
| created by | shots | share of open play | xG | xG per shot | goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cross | 18 | 25%lg 13% | 2.6 | 0.15lg 0.10 | 4 | |
| cutback | 6 | 8%lg 6% | 0.6 | 0.09lg 0.10 | 0 | |
| through ball | 1 | 1%lg 2% | 0.1 | 0.06lg 0.19 | 0 | |
| short pass / combination | 32 | 44%lg 50% | 3.5 | 0.11lg 0.08 | 4 | |
| long ball | 3 | 4%lg 6% | 0.2 | 0.08lg 0.07 | 0 | |
| individual (dribble / self-made) | 5 | 7%lg 10% | 0.5 | 0.10lg 0.08 | 1 | |
| rebound / second ball | 8 | 11%lg 10% | 1.1 | 0.14lg 0.09 | 0 | |
| corner (set piece) | 27 | – | 1.8 | 0.07 | 1 | |
| free kick (indirect) (set piece) | 3 | – | 0.1 | 0.05 | 1 | |
| direct free kick (set piece) | 3 | – | 0.1 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| throw-in (set piece) | 2 | – | 0.2 | 0.11 | 1 | |
| penalty (set piece) | 3 | – | 2.4 | 0.79 | 3 |
| created by | shots | share | xG | xG per shot | goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cross | 9 | 13%lg 13% | 1.0 | 0.11 | 0 | |
| cutback | 6 | 9%lg 6% | 0.6 | 0.11 | 1 | |
| through ball | 2 | 3%lg 3% | 0.5 | 0.24 | 0 | |
| short pass / combination | 30 | 43%lg 50% | 3.1 | 0.10 | 5 | |
| long ball | 7 | 10%lg 6% | 0.7 | 0.11 | 1 | |
| individual (dribble / self-made) | 8 | 12%lg 9% | 1.9 | 0.23 | 2 | |
| rebound / second ball | 7 | 10%lg 10% | 1.3 | 0.19 | 1 | |
| corner (set piece) | 8 | – | 0.5 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| free kick (indirect) (set piece) | 3 | – | 0.2 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| direct free kick (set piece) | 2 | – | 0.0 | 0.02 | 0 | |
| throw-in (set piece) | 2 | – | 0.2 | 0.08 | 0 | |
| penalty (set piece) | 1 | – | 0.8 | 0.79 | 1 |
| ending | shots | share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| goal | 12 | 11%lg 10% | |
| keeper held it | 13 | 12%lg 11% | |
| keeper parried it | 17 | 16%lg 12% | |
| blocked | 22 | 20%lg 24% | |
| off target | 41 | 38%lg 39% | |
| hit the woodwork | 3 | 3% |
Penalties excluded. A "save" by an outfield player is a block.
After their keeper held a shot (14), median release 7s; league share turned into a fast attack 8%:
| their keeper held it, then… | times | share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| keeper released fast -> fast attack | 1 | 7% | |
| keeper released quickly, no fast attack | 4 | 29% | |
| keeper slowed the game | 9 | 64% |
After their own shot was held by the opponent keeper (13); league share broken against fast 8%:
| the opponent keeper held it, then… | times | share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| keeper released fast -> fast attack | 2 | 15% | |
| keeper released quickly, no fast attack | 6 | 46% | |
| keeper slowed the game | 5 | 38% |
Fast = the keeper's side reached its final third within 15s of the save. Quick = first pass within 6s.
The other half of each phase above. Their own phases break down when they lose the ball (real turnovers only); their press and block break down when the opponent gets through. Each card: how often, how, where, who is involved, and what it costs them.
137 balls lost in 429 build-up phases (32%)
giveaways per 10 build-up phases: 2.8/10 · league 2.5/10
What it costs: 36% turned into a fast attack · 46% the opponent can’t keep · 6% led to a shot · 0.7 xG
205 balls lost in 608 middle-third phases (34%)
giveaways per 10 middle-third phases: 2.8/10 · league 2.8/10
What it costs: 27% turned into a fast attack · 34% the opponent can’t keep · 5% led to a shot · 1.0 xG
207 balls lost in 461 final-third phases (45%)
deliveries into the box that fail to arrive: 43% · league 56%
What it costs: 9% turned into a fast attack · 63% the opponent can’t keep · 2% led to a shot · 0.4 xG
45 deliveries into the box did not arrive
34 of 47 counter-attacks lost (72%)
attacking transitions that produce a shot: 14% · league 17%
What it costs: 15% turned into a fast attack · 65% the opponent can’t keep · 3% led to a shot · 0.1 xG
47 counters: 9 ended in a shot, 34 were lost, 4 slowed down or went out
74 of 164 opponent build-ups got out (45%)
opponent build-ups that get out cleanly: 45% · league 49%
What it costs: 38% reached the final third · 18% led to a shot · 1.3 xG
Sides are their own: "down the left" = down their left.
97 box entries in 365 opponent final-third phases (27%)
opponent final-third phases that create: 48% · league 48%
What it costs: 43% led to a shot · 8.4 xG
Sides are their own.
29 set pieces lost in open play
What it costs: 10% turned into a fast attack · 59% the opponent can’t keep · 0% led to a shot · 0.0 xG
Their corners and free kicks that were lost in open play, and what the opponent did next.
Takers: Florian Thauvin (43), Andrija Bulatovic (7), Mezian Mesloub (1)
First contact in the box: Matthieu Udol (3), Abdallah Sima (2), Florian Thauvin (2), Jonathan Gradit (2), Jean-Clair Todibo (2)
What each player does in the phases, counted over the window. Only lines that clear a minimum count are shown.
The comparison behind the report: each behaviour as a rate per opportunity, ranked among the 18 Ligue 1 clubs' full seasons, with how many of the 8 matches sat on the same side of the league median. "Style" is never a verdict.
| behaviour | Lens | league median | rank | matches | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style | final-third entries played by a forward / AM / winger | 47% | 30% | 1 / 18 | 8/8 | |
| style | build-ups from the keeper played out short | 24% | 18% | 2 / 18 | 5/8 | |
| strength | opponent middle-third phases that progressed | 58% | 68% | 17 / 18 | 8/8 | |
| strength | deliveries into the box that failed to arrive | 43% | 56% | 18 / 18 | 7/8 | |
| style | open-play shots created by crosses | 25% | 13% | 2 / 18 | 6/8 |
| phase | route | times | shot | their average |
|---|
| split | behaviour | a | b | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| against the more aggressive pressers vs the deeper / passive sides | middle-third phases that progressed into the final third | 57% | 74% | 0.0081 | |
| against the more aggressive pressers vs the deeper / passive sides | build-up exits by carrying it out | 4% | 15% | 0.0221 | |
| when leading vs when level | build-up exits with a long ball | 37% | 19% | 0.03 | |
| when trailing vs when level | final-third entries by carrying it in | 10% | 28% | 0.0223 | |
| when trailing vs when level | build-up exits by carrying it out | 20% | 6% | 0.0357 | |
| second half vs first half | build-up exits down the left | 53% | 35% | 0.0297 | |
| second half vs first half | build-up exits down the right | 38% | 55% | 0.031 |
| date | opponent | result | npxG | opponent press | what happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-22 | vs Auxerre | W 5-2 | 1.9–1.0 | mid-intensity press | Won 5-2, chances 1.90 v 1.02 xG. Auxerre pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 14.8, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: box entries with a cross 0%, far below their usual 17%. |
| 2026-08-29 | at Strasbourg | L 1-2 | 1.8–1.7 | sat deep / passive | Lost 1-2 and the chances agreed (1.78 v 1.72 xG). Strasbourg defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 21.6, league median 14.4) and went long on 50% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: final-third phases that created (box entry or key pass) 65%, far above their usual 48%. |
| 2026-09-05 | vs Lorient | L 0-1 | 1.1–0.9 | sat deep / passive | Lost 0-1 and the chances agreed (1.10 v 0.86 xG). Lorient defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 31.1, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: build-up exits down the left 18%, far below their usual 43%. |
| 2026-09-13 | at Le Mans | D 2-2 | 1.2–2.8 | mid-intensity press | Drew 2-2 (1.24 v 2.84 xG). Le Mans pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 14.0, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: non-penalty xG conceded 2.84 xG, far above their usual 1.25 xG. |
| 2026-09-18 | at Monaco | L 1-2 | 1.3–1.0 | mid-intensity press | Lost 1-2 and the chances agreed (1.31 v 0.96 xG). Monaco pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 14.4, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: giveaways regained within 5s (counter-press) 19%, far below their usual 27%. |
| 2026-10-09 | vs Lyon | W 2-1 | 1.5–1.1 | mid-intensity press | Won 2-1, chances 1.51 v 1.11 xG. Lyon pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 17.7, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: giveaways that led to an opponent shot within 15s 5%, far above their usual 2%. |
| 2026-10-17 | at Troyes | W 3-1 | 1.3–1.1 | sat deep / passive | Won 3-1, chances 1.31 v 1.13 xG. Troyes defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 21.6, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: ball given away during build-up 25.0/match, far above their usual 14.8/match. |
| 2026-10-24 | vs Paris FC | W 2-1 | 0.6–0.4 | sat deep / passive | Won 2-1, chances 0.63 v 0.39 xG. Paris FC defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 21.8, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: build-ups that carried on into the next third under control 74%, far above their usual 48%. |