On February 8, Ousmane Dembele confidently declared that Paris Saint-Germain had rediscovered their treble-winning form. Luis Enrique’s side had not been particularly dominant in the first half of the 2025-26 season, so they aimed to send a clear message to their domestic and European rivals in La Classique — and they did just that, thrashing Marseille 5-0 at the Parc des Princes.

“It’s a special match for all Parisians,” Dembele said with pride. “In this second half of the season, we’ll do everything to win everything.”

For PSG, the main target remains defending their Champions League crown — a daunting task in itself. But keeping hold of their Ligue 1 title won’t be straightforward either. Although many assumed PSG would cruise to a fifth straight French championship, they currently sit second in the table, surprisingly trailing Lens, with only 12 matches left in the campaign.

So what exactly is happening in Ligue 1? Are PSG struggling? And could Lens really go all the way to win only their second-ever league title — their first since 1998?

A ‘different’ Lens

According to Luis Enrique, there’s no crisis at PSG. “What has changed compared to last season is Lens,” he explained. “They are different. Everything else is as usual.”

He’s partly right. Lens have indeed transformed — almost unrecognisably — from the team that missed out on European qualification less than a year ago.

Under former manager Will Still, they weren’t poor by any means. Finishing eighth was respectable for a club accustomed to selling its top players. However, Pierre Sage has exceeded all expectations since taking charge last summer.

Sage’s appointment seemed sensible at the time, given his previous work at Lyon before being dismissed in January last year. His initial goal for Lens was merely to avoid relegation — and the board was content with that, focusing primarily on financial stability.

‘Good position’

After Lens’ commanding 5-0 victory away to Paris FC that sent them back to the top of Ligue 1, Sage reluctantly admitted that the team’s “ambitions” had evolved. Yet he insisted, “The title isn’t on my mind. We’ve achieved our goal (avoiding relegation), so now we’ll think about the Conference League.”

He added, “The Champions League needs at least three more wins, so we’re thinking more about Olympique de Marseille or Olympique Lyonnais than PSG.”

However, his players seem to have a different mindset. “We are in a good position to fight for the title — we’re not going to hide it,” said former Crystal Palace forward Odsonne Edouard. “We are competitors. We’ll fight till the end.”

And there’s little reason to doubt Lens’ potential, considering how consistently well their squad has performed this season.

‘More balanced’ despite departures

Lens have seen several key players depart since their 2022-23 title challenge, when they finished just one point behind PSG. Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin Danso both moved to the Premier League, joining Manchester City and Tottenham respectively.

After losing more influential figures during the last transfer window — Neil El-Aynaoui (Roma), Andy Diouf (Inter) and Facundo Medina (Marseille) — veteran midfielder Adrien Thomasson admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect this season.

“We were wondering how the new team would look, and whether the replacements could match the level of those who left,” the 32-year-old told getfootballnewsfrance.com. “The club did a great job because, in my opinion, we have a stronger and more competitive squad this year.”

He continued, “We’re more balanced now. We have player profiles we didn’t have before, especially in attack. I think we’re a more complete team.”

There’s no arguing with that — most of Lens’ new signings have made an immediate and significant impact at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Smart signings paying off

Goalkeeper Robin Risser, a €3 million signing from Strasbourg, wasn’t even Lens’ top target and had never featured in Ligue 1 before. Yet the France Under-21 star is now being tipped for a senior call-up by Didier Deschamps.

Similar praise applies to left wing-back Matthieu Udol (€3.5m), who at 29 is playing the best football of his career. Meanwhile, former Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin (€6m) has earned a recall to the French national team at 33, thanks to his superb form.

Odsonne Edouard (€3.7m) might not be on Deschamps’ radar, but he has revived his career after a forgettable loan spell at Leicester City before leaving Crystal Palace.

Midfielder Mamadou Sangare’s dominant displays have reportedly caught the eye of Premier League clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea. Likewise, €8m summer recruit Samso Baidoo, signed from Red Bull Salzburg, has impressed so much that Crystal Palace and West Ham are reportedly tracking him.

Reviving Malang Sarr’s confidence

Lens’ resurgence isn’t just about clever transfers — although their January capture of Allan Saint-Maximin already looks inspired, with the ex-Newcastle man contributing to three goals in his first two Ligue 1 appearances.

Sage has also revitalised existing players like Wesley Said, who has scored a career-best 10 goals from the left of a three-man attack. Thomasson has thrived in a deeper creative role, while defender Malang Sarr’s turnaround has been particularly striking.

Initially, Lens were open to selling Sarr, who was still struggling mentally after a tough spell at Chelsea. Yet despite interest from Anderlecht, Sage decided to retain him, believing the 27-year-old’s strength, adaptability and experience could be crucial to his three-man defence.

That faith proved pivotal. Sarr has been a key figure in a backline that has conceded fewer goals (17) than any other Ligue 1 side this season. Combined with the fact that Lens haven’t failed to score since late October, optimism is understandably high.

“This team is a steamroller: they defend while attacking and force opponents into mistakes,” said former club president Gervais Martel, who led Lens to their 1998 championship. “So why not dream of being champions again?!”

Are PSG still PSG?

Despite the growing excitement, Sage remains cautious. He acknowledged that PSG are “an extraordinary team” who could dominate the closing stages of the season. “Once PSG accelerate in the final stretch, we might not see them again,” he warned.

Sage added that PSG are only vulnerable when “they’re not acting like PSG.” However, aside from their stunning win in Le Classique, the champions haven’t consistently looked like their usual dominant selves this season.

Several factors have contributed — fatigue and injuries from competing on multiple fronts throughout 2025 being the most obvious. Yet Dembele revealed another concern just a week after celebrating their Marseille win: some teammates, he said, had lost their sense of unity.

“Last season we put the club first, before ourselves,” the Ballon d’Or winner said after PSG’s surprising loss to Rennes. “We need to get back to that. Paris Saint-Germain must come before any individual. If we play selfishly, it won’t work — we won’t win the titles we want.”

That admission gives Lens a glimmer of hope heading into the final stretch. Still, Sage insists that for Lens to truly compete, they must beat PSG in their head-to-head clash in April.

“I’ve never beaten PSG before,” the 46-year-old admitted. “But if that could happen on April 12th, that wouldn’t be bad!” Should Lens manage that victory at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, even Sage might start believing in a fairytale finish to the season.