Brest Fort fell.
The approximately 38,000 supporters at the Bollaert stadium held their breath until the end but can finally breathe.
This Saturday, the Sang et Or finally ended a series of three consecutive victories for Brestois in Ligue 1 (after Marseille, Strasbourg and Le Havre) by winning by the smallest of margins thanks to Ruben Aguilar (1-0 ) in a top-of-the-table shock which kept all its promises.
Lens' victory is all the more remarkable as Brest had not lost in the league for thirteen matches and remained in nine matches without conceding a goal.
Since the beginning of November, the club coached by Éric Roy has only had one defeat (against PSG) in its last sixteen matches.
The exceptional statistics therefore stop there but the Ty'Zefs are guaranteed to keep their place as runner-up to PSG.
The Sang et Or have won for the third time in eight matches (2 draws, 3 defeats) against Brest since their return to the elite in 2020. With this success, Lens moves up to fourth place in the standings, tied on points with AS Monaco (42 points).
68% possession for the Bretons
Suspended and installed in the stands, Franck Haise had made a single, forced change in his starting lineup, with Abdukodir Khusanov, in place of Facundo Medina, suspended.
On the Brest side, Steve Mounié was back in the eleven after a two-match suspension.
Ruben Aguilar released the Artesian public shortly after the half-hour mark. The French defender delivered a powerful header after very well following David Pereira Da Costa's cross which bounced off the post, to score his first goal of the season.
The former Monegasque had not scored since September 2020, during his first season in the Principality.
“We wanted to score the second (goal), we didn’t succeed,” explained Florian Sotoca on Canal +.
Lens still scared itself throughout the second half, but especially at the end of the match with two strikes from Martin Satriano almost in quick succession.
“They are not second for nothing!
Bravo to them,” added the northern striker.
Ten days before the end of the season, Stade Brestois 29 continues its quest for the Champions League.
The Bretons will host Lille, another competitor in the race for Europe, on March 17.
For its part, Lens will host Nice, again beaten on Friday by Montpellier.