August 11th, 2008
RC Lens Vs. Marseille
Matchday 1
Starting XI
GK: S.Mandanda-74
LB: T.Taiwo-78
CB: J. Rodriguez-78
CB: G. Givet-79
RB: Hilton-79
CDM: L. Cana (Captain)-81
LCM: B. Cheyrou-77
RCM: K. Ziani-73
RS: H. Ben Arfa-75
LS: D. Cisse-79
CF: M. Niang-81
Pre Match Report:
Well the start of the season is here and we have a match up of RC Lens Vs. Marseille to start the season off. Marseille look to have the better team and bigger advantage so expect them to pull out the 3 points from the game. Kickoff is about to start here we go for another great and exciting season!!
First Half:
RC. Lens Start of with the Kickoff
3rd min- Bad passing in the Marseille defense sees Lens strip the ball from Givet and Akale Kanga shoots a bullet towards goal but just wide.
10th min- Monterrubio dribbles through the midfield untouched and has a crack at goal from around the 18. Mandanda parries the ball over the crossbar for a corner. Nothing comes out of the corner.
12th min- Ouch that was a vicious tackle by a Lens player on Taiwo. Yellow card given to Y. Demont
17th min- A cross is wipped in the penalty area by Taiwo but no one is there to get on the end of it. Lens clears the ball with ease.
27th min- Akale has another chance at goal and misses by just inches again. Marseille needs to tighten there game up they came out very slow today.
38th min- Cisse dribbles into the 18 and slots a pass to Ben Arfa and he shoots but the keeper gets a nice save to it and the Lens D clears the ball in panick.
45th min- Ben Arfa tries a long range shot but it comes to nothing with the keep saving it with ease.
HALFTIME Report:
Well it looks to me Andy as if the RC Lens team came to show what they are made of today. They are taking it to the strong Marseille team today. Marseille has had maybe one or two good chances on goal both coming to nothing, while Lens has had maybe four or five. The score is tied 0-0 but Marseille are lucky to still have this game tied due to Mandanda between the pipes. He has kept them in this game so far. Second half about to begin as the teams walk back onto the pitch.
Second Half: Marseille to kick off.
46th min- Cantona must have lit into the lads at halftime because they have come out on fire already. Hilton has just dribbled the right sideline from the kickoff and sent a ball into the box. Cisse gets to the end of it with a powerful header but Lens goalkeeper Runje got to it.
53rd min- Cana commits a foul at midfield hopefully there wont be a card. The ref comes over and talks to Cana but doesn't pull a card out. Phww just gave him a warning.
72nd min- Cisse shields the ball at the top of the 18 and lays it off to an oncoming Niang. Niang volleys the ball from the top of the arch and see it go inches over.
73rd min- Substitution Marseille: M. Niang and K. Ziani come off to make way for M. Moussilou and M. Valbuena.
76th min- Oh nooooo RC Lens have scored in the 76th min to make it 1-0. A Dindane found the end of a beautiful pass from Kalou and redirected it to the far post where Mandanda had no chance to save it.
79th min- GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL by Ben Arfa to equalize it at 1-1. Ben Arfa turns the whole D at midfield and sprints by everybody making it a 1v1 vs Runje. He slots the ball home cooly and makes the visiting fans go beserk.
89th min- B Kalou makes it 2-1 and surely they have won the game. He shoots a rocket from 25 out and watches it go be the diving Mandanda. Oh that has to be heart wrenching for Marseille.
Full Time: RC Lens wins 2-1
Man of the Match: Olivier Monterrubio
