Lens deploy second youngest central defence in Champions League history | OneFootball

Lens edged Slavia Prague 3-2 with a stoppage-time winner, doing so with one of the youngest central defences the Champions League has seen.

According to L'Équipe, Kyllian Antonio, 18, and Souleymane Sagnan, 21, each received a rating of 2 on their Champions League debuts. Alongside Ismaëlo Ganiou, 21, they formed the youngest centre-back unit of matchday one at an average of 20 years 186 days, and the second youngest recorded since 1992.

Villarreal's equivalent measured 22 years 89 days, the next youngest on the opening round.

Only Anderlecht have started a younger central defence in the Champions League era, against Inter on 29 September 2004. That night featured Anthony Vanden Borre, 16 years 341 days, now Bayern manager Vincent Kompany, 18 years 172 days, and Lamine Traoré, 22 years 11 days.

The youthful Lens axis endured a stern introduction, but the side still left Prague with the points.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”