AS Monaco produced one of their most dramatic turnarounds of the season on Saturday, February 21, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Lens 3-2 at a packed Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
With just over an hour played, the Red and Whites were staring at defeat. Instead, they responded with a devastating burst of three goals in barely ten minutes, flipping the contest on its head and extending their unbeaten run to five matches.
The evening began in hostile fashion for the visitors. Roared on by a capacity crowd, Lens struck early, taking the lead inside the opening minutes through a well-taken volley. Monaco looked unsettled and struggled to impose themselves as the hosts pressed high and attacked with confidence.
Gradually, however, Sébastien Pocognoli’s side found their footing. Folarin Balogun tested the goalkeeper with a sharp effort, and Simon Adingra threatened from the left flank, but Monaco went into the break trailing.
Things worsened shortly after halftime. Lens doubled their advantage before the hour mark, capitalising on a loose moment in the box to make it 2-0. At that point, the match appeared to be slipping away.
What followed was pure character.
Balogun reignited belief with a clinical finish to pull one back, his third goal in a week. Suddenly the momentum shifted. Monaco pressed with renewed intensity, and the equaliser soon arrived when Denis Zakaria powered home a header from a precise delivery, the ball glancing in off the bar.
Before Lens could recover, Monaco struck again. Ansu Fati, introduced moments earlier, made an immediate impact by lifting a composed finish over the advancing goalkeeper to complete a remarkable comeback.
From two down to 3-2 ahead in just seven minutes, the transformation was extraordinary.
The final stages were tense. Lens pushed desperately for an equaliser, but Monaco defended with resilience and discipline. Key interventions at the back ensured that the advantage held, and when the final whistle sounded, the travelling supporters erupted.
The victory not only underlines Monaco’s growing confidence but also sends them into the week’s Champions League playoff second leg with renewed belief. If they can summon a similar spirit, few would now bet against them.