Lens thrashed Toulouse 3-0 at the Stade de France on Saturday evening to move into second place in the Ligue 1 table. The win was Lens' fourth consecutive victory and their first away win since November.
The match saw a number of key players return to action after injury or suspension. Lens' captain, Lucas Tournet, returned from a hamstring injury to start up front alongside Yohann Papin, while winger Benjamin Pavard made his return from a knee injury.
Toulouse, who were also without several key players due to injury, struggled to create any meaningful chances and were largely outplayed by the home side. Lens took the lead early on when forward Théo Fofana scored his sixth goal of the season with a well-taken header.
Fofana's goal came just three minutes after the opening whistle, and he doubled Lens' lead five minutes later with another excellent finish. The third goal arrived late on as substitute Adrien Openda slotted home a penalty after being brought down by a Toulouse defender.
Lens now have 24 points from 9 games, two more than Toulouse and four clear of Monaco in third place. They face Rennes next weekend, hoping to maintain their winning form and push themselves even further up the table.
Overall, it was a dominant performance for Lens against a struggling Toulouse team. With their attacking options returning to full fitness, it is clear that this is a team on the rise and one that could cause some real problems for opponents in the coming weeks.