NANTES, France (Interstat) — Substitute Florian Thauvin delivered a dramatic late winner as Lens opened its Ligue 1 campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Nantes on Saturday at Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau.

The match, which defied pregame projections that heavily favored the visitors, was decided in the 81st minute. Thauvin, who had entered the match as a second-half substitute, found the net to complete Lens’s recovery from an early deficit and secure three points on the road.

The home side struck first, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack in the 34th minute. Forward Dehmaine Assoumani provided the key pass, setting up teammate Youssef El Arabi for a clinical finish that sent the home supporters into a frenzy and gave Nantes a 1-0 lead.

Lens’s response was immediate. Just four minutes later, another substitute made an instant impact. Wesley Saïd leveled the score at 1-1 in the 38th minute, settling the visiting side after the shock of conceding and ensuring the teams entered halftime on equal terms.

The second half saw both sides searching for a decisive goal, with the match appearing to tilt against statistical expectations. The pregame analysis by Interstat gave Lens a 96.20 percent probability to win, while its game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw. For much of the second half, the latter prediction seemed the more accurate.

The deadlock was finally broken with less than 10 minutes of regular time remaining. Thauvin’s decisive intervention secured the victory for Lens, sparking celebrations among the traveling supporters. The goal also prompted a swift reaction from Nantes’s Assoumani, who received a yellow card in the 83rd minute for a challenge in the aftermath of the restart.

The result gives Lens a winning start to its domestic season, moving its Ligue 1 record to one win and no losses. For Nantes, the narrow defeat marks a second consecutive loss to begin its campaign across all competitions, as its record in Ligue 1 falls to no wins and one loss.

The victory provides a positive foundation for Lens under the pressure of significant external expectation, while Nantes will look to regroup after a performance that showed promise but ultimately ended in disappointment at home.