Auxerre 3-1 Angers result, stats and report

Lens were clinical where Auxerre were chaotic, converting two penalties and three open-play goals to claim a commanding Ligue 1 opening-day victory. The scoreline tells a fair story, but the detail behind it tells a more interesting one.

Lille made their opening Ligue 1 away trip look straightforward, scoring twice in the first half and defending with calm authority to leave Angers without a point or a goal. The statistics told one story; the actual match told quite another.

Angers host Troyes on Saturday with both clubs carrying the weight of difficult form into what shapes up as a match that either side can ill afford to lose. The tactical picture tells a story that goes well beyond the league table.

Auxerre host Stade Brestois 29 on Saturday with the home side unbeaten in their last five at the Abbé-Deschamps, while Brest arrive having failed to win a single away game in their last five attempts. Something has to give, and the evidence points firmly in one direction.

Le Havre have not won a home game in their last five attempts, and Angers arrive in Normandy having conceded 20 goals in their last ten matches. Something has to give on Saturday evening.

Auxerre have made their home ground a difficult place to visit this season, but Nice arrive in Burgundy searching for a first win and carrying questions about their own attacking output that have no easy answers.

Angers host Rennes in Ligue 1 on Sunday afternoon carrying the weight of a difficult run of form, while their visitors arrive having scored freely and won convincingly away from home. This is a fixture that tells two very different stories.

Lyon kick off their Ligue 1 home campaign against an Auxerre side whose recent form suggests goals are coming at both ends. The data makes this a more interesting fixture than the surface narrative suggests.