Lens and Sporting CP meet at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Tuesday, October 13, with both looking for a second win in the Champions League league phase. Neither side had a straightforward opening night: Lens scored twice after the 90th minute to beat Slavia Prague 3-2, while Sporting came from behind to defeat Galatasaray 3-1. Recent results add to the intrigue. Lens beat Olympique Lyonnais 2-1 on October 9, and Sporting won 3-1 away to Sporting Braga on the same date. With both teams arriving on the back of victories, this Lens vs Sporting CP preview turns on whether their attacking form will again outweigh their defensive vulnerabilities.

Lens Recent Form and Key Stats

Lens have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five matches, averaging 2.0 goals scored and 1.4 conceded per game. Their most recent result was a 2-1 home win over Olympique Lyonnais, secured despite finishing with ten players. It was their first victory under manager Yannick Cahuzac and gave them another positive result to take into their European fixture.

The Champions League opener showed Lens at their most resilient. Trailing late at Slavia Prague, they struck twice beyond the 90th minute to complete a 3-2 win. They have now scored three and conceded two in their one league-phase match, so that comeback also underlined the work still to do without the ball. Lens have conceded in each of their last 14 Champions League games.

Home form offers encouragement. Lens are unbeaten across their last ten home UEFA matches, with seven wins and three draws, and have won four of their last six Champions League home games. They have also gone 20 home matches without a draw. Goals have featured late in their recent fixtures: each of their last 25 matches, including all of their last 12 at home, has contained at least one second-half goal.

Florian Thauvin has eight goals and eight assists in all competitions this season. He scored in the win at Slavia Prague and created four chances, while putting three of his eight attempts on target. Franjo Ivanovic is expected to lead the attack. Lens have injury absences to manage, with Jhoanner Chavez, Maik Nawrocki and Abdallah Sima unavailable.

Sporting CP Recent Form and Key Stats

Sporting CP also opened their Champions League campaign with three goals, recovering from behind to beat Galatasaray 3-1. They have since taken confidence from a 3-1 away victory over Sporting Braga. Across their last five matches, Sporting have recorded three wins and two draws, scoring an average of 2.2 goals and conceding 1.0 per game. Their wider unbeaten run stands at 16 matches.

The visitors have scored at least once in each of their last 15 matches, and every game in that sequence has featured more than 1.5 total goals. They have also won three consecutive Champions League league-phase games. Their opening victory leaves them with three goals scored and one conceded in this season’s competition, although the trip to Lens presents a different test from their home meeting with Galatasaray.

Luis Suarez has scored eight times in Sporting’s last nine competitive games, including once against Galatasaray. Another Champions League goal would make him the club’s outright leading scorer in the competition. His form gives Sporting a clear attacking threat against a Lens side on a long run without a clean sheet in this tournament. Rodrigo Zalazar picked up an injury against Braga and could miss the match, while Nuno Santos could also be absent through injury.

Lens vs Sporting CP Match Analysis

There is a strong case for an open contest. Both teams scored three times on matchday one, both had to respond to adversity to win, and each scored three again in their latest league result. Lens’ five-match scoring average of 2.0 meets Sporting’s run of goals in 15 successive games. At the same time, Lens’ 14 Champions League matches without a clean sheet suggest the hosts may need to score to get a result.

The home and away trends make the outcome harder to call. Lens have been difficult to beat at home in UEFA competition, but Sporting arrive with a 16-match unbeaten run and a win in their latest away fixture. Lens’ recent matches also point to the possibility of a decisive second half, while Sporting have seen a second-half goal in 37 of their last 40 matches. Rather than relying on either side to extend its winning run, the evidence points most clearly toward both attacks having opportunities to make an impact.

Lens vs Sporting CP prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (Yes) with 56% probability.