Sima shines for Lens and targets Le Mans

Abdallah Sima has turned into a decisive attacking weapon for RC Lens, fitting in as a strong complement to Florian Thauvin after a summer shake-up in that area, according to L'Équipe.

His rise matters even more given how uneven pre-season circumstances were: departures such as Wesley Saïd and Allan Saint-Maximin, a delayed start for Odsonne Édouard, and new signings who were still some way from the expected level — Thorgan Hazard and Franjo Ivanovic. In that context, L'Équipe underlines that Sima quickly earned his place in the starting XI.

From disruption to starting XI

The paper also points to the trust shown by Dino Toppmöller. It says the Senegalese forward, 25, had been only the fifth or even sixth choice under Pierre Sage, even though he had already provided a major signal in the Coupe de France final vs Nice (3-1), where he scored and finished the campaign with five goals — Lens' record in that competition.

A statement in Slavia

On Thursday, in his former home of Slavia Prague, Sima answered his new coach’s demands: an opponent was shown a red card as the route toward goal opened, followed by a close-range strike. L'Équipe also notes he missed a chance in the first half, used to highlight that he still has room to grow in key areas. It even leaves a question hanging: is he a pure “goal machine”, or more of a space-runner who works for the team?

With that momentum, Lens travel to Le Mans this Sunday for Ligue 1 matchday 4, with kick-off at 17:15, live on Ligue 1+ (as noted by L'Équipe).