UEFA Champions League: Arsenal vs Lens Live
Preview
Just needing one more point to move on to the knockout stage of the Champions League, Arsenal will host Lens at the Emirates Stadium for their Group B match on Wednesday. Arsenal has earned nine out of 12 possible points, making them unbeatable at this point, but they did have one setback against Franck Haise’s team.
Despite enduring rough treatment from Sevilla’s defenders, including some controversially unpunished fouls, Bukayo Saka showed resilience and helped them edge closer to the knockout stages. Following recent losses to West Ham United and Newcastle United, the gunners secured a victory over the Europa League champions with goals from Leandro Trossard and Saka. Despite their current lead in the group, Arsenal still need to secure their position in the top two with two matches remaining.
Avoiding defeat in their upcoming match will guarantee their advancement, and a win would secure their position at the top of the group. Even if they don’t win, a loss for PSV against Sevilla would also confirm Arsenal’s place in the knockout stages. However, Arsenal will aim to secure their spot without relying on luck, as they did in their recent Premier League match against Brentford.
Lens may have entered Group B with more modest expectations after returning to the Champions League, especially as they struggled at the start of the new season without key players Seko Fofana and Lois Openda. Despite this, they remained unbeaten in their first three Champions League matches, putting them in contention for the top spot. However, they are currently in third place after a loss to PSV, which still secures them a spot in the Europa League. Their hopes of a top-two finish will fade if they lose to Arsenal and PSV defeats Sevilla. Despite this, Lens has improved defensively, winning their last two Ligue 1 matches and conceding only one goal in their last five games in all competitions.
Head-to-head
Arsenal and Lens have each won one of their last three meetings, with both teams also drawing once. In their most recent match, Lens secured a 2-1 victory.
Prediction
Lens has been focused on strong defense recently, but facing Arsenal at the Emirates will present a new challenge for them. The return of Danso will greatly help Lens, and although Arsenal’s attacking performance has not been as strong as in the past, they are still expected to score multiple goals and advance to the last 16.
Live Stream
