No team in Ligue 1 have gained more points at home than Lens this season (W13, D2), but they found themselves 2-0 down inside 13 minutes after an extraordinary start to the game.
Robin Risser was to blame for Toulouse’s sixth-minute opener, as the goalkeeper inexplicably let Cristian Casseres Jr’s shot from distance squirm through his fingers.
That was only a second goal of the season for the midfielder, and another unlikely scorer doubled the lead after 13 minutes when Les Violets kept a corner alive, allowing 18-year-old home-grown centre back Seny Koumbassa to head in his first senior goal.
Les Sang et Or were handed a lifeline just four minutes later, when Toulouse’s top goalscorer Yann Gboho was sent off for a high challenge after referee Jeremie Pignard consulted the VAR monitor.
Lens grabbed the momentum, and Wesley Said headed into the side netting before Gillaume Restes made a smart double save from Matthieu Udol.
Florian Sotoca then thought he had halved the deficit on the half-hour mark, but Pignard spotted a push by the skipper as he nodded home. Despite Lens’ pressure, Toulouse reached the break unscathed to lead at half-time for only the second time in their past 11 Ligue 1 games (HT: D4, L5).
The onslaught continued after the interval, and Said should have done better when he nodded over six minutes into the half, before sending his next header too close to Restes.
The goalkeeper was finally beaten in the 61st minute when substitute Allan Saint-Maximin crossed to the far post, and Saud Abdulhamid headed his second goal of the season inside the far post.
Within six minutes Lens were level, as Restes failed to hold Malang Sarr’s low drive from range, and Adrien Thomasson - who scored in his side’s 3-0 win in the reverse fixture - buried his third goal of the campaign.
Lens pushed for a winner, but it looked like they would fail to turn their dominance into three points, only for Ganiou to head home from a corner with the last of their 42 total shots in stoppage time.
Les Sang et Or are now only one point behind Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain - although the champions have two games in hand - and their dream of a first top-flight title since 1997/98 remains alive.
In the short term, this result will surely give them the edge when they return here on Tuesday to face Toulouse, who have won just twice in Ligue 1 since the start of February (D2, L7).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ismaelo Ganiou (Lens)