Ligue 1: A strong start for Moussa Niakhaté and OL | OneFootball

Lyon kick off with a valuable away win at Lens (0-1).

Ligue 1 : OL 1-0 RC Lens / Photo : Madeinfoot

Moussa Niakhaté and Olympique Lyonnais have kicked off their 2025-2026 campaign in style. The Rhodanians claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory away at Lens on Saturday night in the opening round of Ligue 1. Georges Mikautadze netted the only goal of the match right at the end of the first half.

The Senegalese defender and his teammates delivered a rock-solid performance against Racing Club de Lens on August 16, 2025, in front of nearly 38,000 fans at the Bollaert-Delelis stadium. The decisive moment came from a surging run down the right by Malick Fofana, with Georges Mikautadze darting in at the near post to steer home the game's only goal (45+1'). At the back, Rémy Descamps produced a string of crucial saves to keep Lyon ahead, notably denying Florian Thauvin, who came off the bench to inject energy into Lens’ attack.

After the match, Moussa Niakhaté emphasized the importance of this win, secured in a tense atmosphere. The Lyon club narrowly avoided administrative relegation over the summer, but the management managed to steady the ship. The defender stressed the need to deliver on the pitch.

"I spoke just before the match. I told them the management and the board had done their part. It was up to us to keep OL in Ligue 1. There was a lot of talk all summer, these past two or three months. Now it’s on us to get the job done. They delivered in the offices, now it’s up to us on the pitch. (…) We’re just happy to have won this match," Niakhaté said.