Jemaa leveller hits OB hopes

Itandje save
Lens's Seydou Keita had the first chance of the night but fired over from the edge of the area. Bruce Rioch's OB hit back with an effort from Radivoje Lekic that forced a wonderful close-range save from Lens keeper Charles Itandje. His OB counterpart Arek Onyszko was also called into action, after 17 minutes, to keep out Daniel Cousin's shot and that sparked a period of home dominance, Ulrik Laursen heading wide before Itandje denied Lekic again.

Grahn strike
The hosts finally made the breakthrough 13 minutes into the second period, Tobias Grahn finding the net after good work on the right by Lekic, and they might have made the game safe only for Bechara to blast over from inside the box in the 75th minute. Lens, third in France's Ligue 1, finally asserted themselves as an attacking force in the closing stages and Adama Coulibaly wasted the opportunity to level with eleven minutes remaining, nodding Yohan Demont's inswinging corner over the bar.

Late rally
Bechara prompted another fine stop from Itandje as OB threatened on the counterattack, but that would prove to be their final chance as Lens rallied late on. Hilton's neat work provided the opening for Jemaa and the Tunisian made no mistake, slotting coolly into the bottom corner. Both teams have four points, two less than leaders Parma FC, although Lens have played two matches to OB's three.