PSG are not unbeatable! Fantastic Lens stake a claim in the title race with a memorable victory at Bollaert

The first day of 2013 brought us the first Ligue 1 defeat for leaders PSG. There are no longer unbeaten teams in the top five European leagues - and it's all thanks to incredible Lens. Belgian striker Lois Openda found the net and created another as his team beat the Parisians 3-1 to extend their winning run at home to nine games and announce themselves as real title contenders!

We wished for a fiery game, and we got one from the very start at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in northern France. The home side boasted a 100% home record in Ligue 1 this season and wanted to show the table-topping visitors their stadium is indeed a fortress.

The red and yellows, wearing their special issue golden and black kits, started the match brightly and were ahead five minutes in when Przemyslaw Frankowski volleyed a Massadio Haidara knock-back from close range, leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma powerless.

Although the Parisians had to cope without Neymar, Lionel Messi, Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes, they still fielded a strong side. It's one of the perks of having the biggest squad in the country!

Just three minutes after the opening goal, the champions drew level. Lens' goalkeeper Brice Samba thought he caught a Carlos Soler cross, but Nordi Mukiele snuck in and knocked the ball out of the Congolese's hands. It fell nicely for young striker Hugo Ekitike to poke into the net.

The equaliser was a kick in the teeth, but the home team's coach Franck Haise, who led the team for the 100th time, calmed his players down and told them to just keep going according to their game plan.

Les Lensois' captain Seko Fofana is the heart and soul of this team. The tireless Ivorian covers every blade of grass, and his tenacity enabled Lois Openda to restore his team's lead. Fofana won the ball off Soler just in front of his box and hit a searching vertical pass into the Belgian's path. Openda still had a lot to do, but he evaded a challenge from Sergio Ramos before making Marquinhos look silly. He was left with the goal at his mercy but has somehow fired straight at Donnarumma. However, the striker had enough luck for the ball to still end up in the back of the net. Once again, the Parisians were trailing.

Lens survived a PSG onslaught before the break, as Kylian Mbappe in particular, looked keen on troubling Samba. Although the home fans applauded Mbappe during the warm-up to acknowledge his efforts in Qatar, the French superstar was treated like an enemy over the 90 minutes.

The start of the second half offered another shock to the PSG coach Christophe Galtier. Lens chose to be proactive rather than reactive, and they pressed their opponents high up. Haidara knocked the ball from Fabian Ruiz's feet in a dangerous position, sending it towards Openda. The Belgian produced one of the best moves of the night. With his back turned to the goal, he backheeled the ball across to Alexis Claude-Maurice to blast into the net and make it 3-1. Galtier was bewildered.

The bad news for the Parisians was that they were behind by two goals, but the good news was that they had around 45 minutes to turn the match around.

Samba produced the save of the night with just under 20 minutes left. In the midst of PSG attacks, Mukiele delivered a pinpoint cross onto the head of substitute Pablo Sarabia The Spaniard headed it from close range. Still, the Congolese dived through the air and beat the ball away off the goal-line to keep the two-goal cushion intact.

Last season, in the corresponding fixture 13 months ago, Lens had led PSG and were on course for what would have been an impressive win. However, they were thwarted by substitute Georginio Wijnaldum. But there was no Gini to save the team from the capital this time.

Racing Club de Lens closed the gap between them and the leaders to just four points. But the big achievement tonight is showing that PSG are not unbeatable. The title in France hasn't been decided. After all, it's only New Year!

LIGUE 1- Matchday 17

Sunday

Angers - Lorient 1-2 (1-0)

/Sima 10 - Sima 79 og, Le Fee 88/

Monaco - Brest 1-0 (0-0)

/Golovin 54/

Nantes - Auxerre 1-0 (0-0)

/Coco 74/

Toulouse - Ajaccio 2-0 (0-0)

/Ratao 46, Dejaegere 62/

Lyon - Clermont 0-1 (0-0)

/Cham 87 pen/

Lens - Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 (2-1)

/Frankowski 5, Openda 28, Claude-Maurice 48 - Ekitike 8/

Monday

17:00: (1.85) Strasbourg (3.70) Troyes (4.60)

19:00: (1.65) Lille (3.80) Reims (5.50)

21:00: (4.60) Montpellier (3.60) Olympique Marseille (1.80)

23:00: (1.85) Rennes (3.50) Nice (4.40)

***odds are subject to change***