RC Lens Stuns Slavia Prague with Dramatic 3-2 Victory in Champions League

Ruben Aguilar stepped out of the chaos and into club folklore as RC Lens stole a breathtaking 3-2 win over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League at the Fortuna Arena.

For long stretches, this looked like the kind of European night that haunts a dressing room. Ten-man Slavia, pushed back but stubborn, somehow found what seemed the killer punch in the 89th minute when Sturm put the hosts 2-1 up. Lens heads dropped. Shoulders sagged. The away end went quiet.

Then the game exploded.

Florian Thauvin dragged Lens level in the 91st minute, a lifeline when the clock was already deep in red. Two minutes later, Aguilar stepped forward and ripped the script to shreds, arrowing a brilliant strike inside the post to complete a staggering turnaround.

From defeat to delirium in four minutes. From frustration to history.

The result delivered Lens their first away victory in the Champions League since 1998, a statistic that underlines just how significant this night in Prague was for the club and its travelling support.

Speaking to Canal+ after the match, Aguilar admitted that no one inside the stadium could have predicted such a wild finale. He spoke about the emotional bond within the squad, stressing that Lens build their strength on shared suffering and collective effort. Representing the club on this stage, he said, fills him with pride.

"When you wear this logo, you have to give 100 per cent," Aguilar said. "We give everything for the people of Lens, and it's only at this club that you can experience emotions like this. I'm very proud tonight. We couldn't have written this scenario."

The defender also lingered on a more personal detail: sharing the moment with Thauvin. The two have known each other since earlier in their careers, and to both score in the Champions League on the same night felt like a private story unfolding inside a public epic.

"We were trained together and tonight we both scored in the Champions League," Aguilar added. "My buddy Flo got the man of the match trophy, and I'm so happy for him. We're really good friends, we have a blast, we suffer together, and we're all rewarded."

That word — together — ran through his reflections. Aguilar made a point of saluting not just the starters but the substitutes, the entire group that rode every twist and turn in Prague and refused to let the night slip away.

Now comes the test of what this drama is worth beyond the highlight reels. Lens, buoyed by an unforgettable European opening, must quickly turn back to Ligue 1. Dino Toppmoller’s side host Le Mans FC on Sunday, carrying with them a renewed sense of resilience and a team spirit hardened by one of those nights that can define a season.

If they can bottle what they found in those frantic final minutes in Prague, how far can this Lens team really go?