Already having been eliminated from the competition, RC Lens will need to avoid defeat against Sevilla FC in order to earn their ticket to the Europa League. To do so, Franck Haise will have access to nearly a full squad, barring Deiver Machado (30) due to injury, and a few other minor absents.
The main surprise should come from the explosive Portuguese winger David da Costa (22) starting on the flank, ahead of the likes of Adrien Thomasson (30) and Angelo Fulgini (27), who are both used to sharing minutes in that position. It would be the first start for the player in the Champions League, though he has already made two appearances in the competition, against Arsenal and PSV, against whom he had made a good impression.
In the midfield, Nampalys Mendy (31) and Salis Abdul Samed (23) should begin, as the duo has started every Champions League game this season, ahead of the likes of summer signing Andy Diouf (20) and more notably Neil El Aynaoui (22), who has been getting a lot of game time recently, beginning all four of Lens’ last Ligue 1 matches.
Franck Haise will be hoping his team does at least as well as the first group stage game against Sevilla when they had come away with a point from the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
Lens likely lineup v Sevilla:
Brice Samba; Jonathan Gradit, Kevin Danso, Facundo Medina; Ruben Aguilar, Salis Abdul Samed, Nampalys Mendy, Przemysław Frankowski; Florian Sotoca, Elye Wahi, David da Costa
