Monaco came from behind to defeat league leader Lens 3-2
Three second-half goals turned the match in Monaco's favor
The result gives PSG the opportunity to go top in the French league
Monaco had previously led PSG in their Champions League playoff before losing
📖 Full Retelling
French league leader Lens suffered a stunning 3-2 defeat at home to Monaco on Saturday, February 21, 2026, as the visitors came from behind with three second-half goals to give Paris Saint-Germain the opportunity to go top in the standings. The match began with Lens taking an early lead through Odsonné Édouard's volley, and Florian Thauvin extended their advantage early in the second half by converting a rebound after Monaco's goalkeeper Philipp Köhn could only parry a deflected shot. However, the home team's dominance ended there as Monaco mounted a remarkable comeback. United States forward Folarin Balogun scored against the run of play in the 62nd minute, followed by Denis Zakaria equalizing in the 70th. Ansu Fati then capitalized on another defensive error to secure the victory just two minutes later. This turnaround was particularly impressive for Monaco, who had led PSG 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff earlier in the week, only to lose 3-2. Lens' frustration was compounded when Saud Abdulhamid was booked for diving instead of being awarded a penalty he felt he deserved. Before this match, Lens held a one-point advantage over PSG, who were scheduled to host last-place Metz later on Saturday. Meanwhile, Toulouse was hosting promoted Paris FC in another important fixture.
# UEFA Champions League
The **UEFA Champions League** (UCL) is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Contested by top-division European clubs, it is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious c...
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain (French: [paʁi sɛ̃ʒɛʁmɛ̃], ult. ref. "Saint Germanus"), PSG, Paris, or Paris SG, are a French professional football club based in Paris.
A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (elements), usually arranged along a common axis. Lenses are made from mate...
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate in Western Europe. Situated on the French Riviera, it is a semi-enclave bordered by France to the north, east, and west, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south; the Italian region of Liguria is about 15 km (9.3 ...
Monaco stuns Lens 3-2 to hand PSG the chance to go top in France French league leader Lens has been stunned by three second-half goals as Monaco came from behind to win 3-2 to give Paris Saint-Germain the chance to go top By The Associated Press February 21, 2026, 1:11 PM LENS, France -- French league leader Lens was stunned by three second-half goals as Monaco came from behind to win 3-2 to give Paris Saint-Germain the chance to go top on Saturday. Odsonne Édouard scored early with a volley for Lens and Florian Thauvin converted the rebound after Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Köhn could only parry a deflected shot early in the second half. That was as good as it got for the home team, however. United States forward Folarin Balogun scored against the run of play in the 62nd, Denis Zakaria equalized in the 70th and Ansu Fati pounced on another defensive blunder to make it 3-2 two minutes after that. It was quite the reversal for Monaco, which led PSG 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Tuesday after two goals from Balogun, only to lose 3-2 . Lens’ evening was summed up when Saud Abdulhamid was booked for diving instead of getting a penalty that he felt he deserved. Popular Reads Nancy Guthrie live updates: More than 1 suspect not ruled out, sheriff's office says Feb 20, 4:51 PM Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor released after arrest on suspicion of misconduct Feb 19, 4:23 PM Nancy Guthrie case: Person released as search for 'armed individual' continues Feb 10, 11:15 PM Lens was only a point clear of PSG before the capital club hosted last-place Metz later Saturday. Also, Toulouse was hosting promoted Paris FC. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer Sponsored Content by Taboola Popular Reads Nancy Guthrie live updates: More than 1 suspect not ruled out, sheriff's office says Feb 20, 4:51 PM Nancy Guthrie case: Person released as search for 'armed individual' continues Feb 10, 11:15 PM Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor released after arrest on suspicion of mi...
