PROFILE | Brice Samba as reliable as ever for Lens | OneFootball

As we have come to expect over the past few seasons, Brice Samba (30) is putting together another solid campaign between the sticks at RC Lens. The Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022-23 has been very sharp through the early portion of this campaign, putting Les Sang et Or in the hunt for a place in Europe once again.

The France international is once again playing stellar between the sticks and is at the top regarding clean sheets, leading the league with seven after 15 matchdays, with Lens conceding 14 goals in the league during that period. While he’s had the luxury of familiar faces in front of him, with whom he’s developed a good rapport, Samba’s shown he’s still among the best at his position.

With such a solid defensive unit in front of him, Samba may not get as much credit as he deserves for all of his clean sheets, but you can argue that his stops are more difficult because of Still’s approach. Not only does he have to be quick in setting up his side to defend free kicks, but his reads and reflexes must be top-notch when one of those efforts is on target and he’s rarely caught flat-footed.

Samba a handy back-up to Maignan

Given what Mike Maignan has done with the French national team, it will be very difficult for Samba to get much playing time for Les Bleus. At the same time, the man who played a big part in Nottingham Forest’s promotion into the Premier League in 2021-22 is a more than capable second choice for Didier Deschamps’ men. Maignan has suffered his share of injuries throughout his career, and if something were to happen to him before a France fixture, Samba would provide the French manager and his defence with the necessary assurances that they are in good hands. He’s only started three times for Les Bleus with only one victory, 3-0 over Gibraltar in a Euro qualifier back in 2023.

Because he’s got such a strong backline to count on, he’s not under siege quite as much as other Ligue 1 players in his position. That, however, is why he’s regarded as one of the best keepers in the French top flight as it’s a lot harder to get into a rhythm as a goalkeeper when you don’t face as many efforts on target. When he is called into action, though, Samba shows that he can be reliable, with the Lens skipper displaying plenty of poise under pressure.

GFFN | Joël Lefevre