Both teams were reduced to ten men in injury-time as Bastia's Florian Maurice and Lens' Abdoulaye Faye were given their marching orders.
Bastia had grabbed the lead on the hour mark through Mickael Essien but Lens earned a share of the spoils courtesy of Antoine Sibierski's 75th minute equaliser.
The Parc des Princes faithful also witnessed two sendings off as Paris Saint Germain opened their season with a gritty 1-0 triumph over Auxerre.
Aloisio's 50th minute effort separated the teams but PSG had debutant Alex Nyarko dismissed with ten minutes remaining and he was followed by the visitor's Jean-Sebastien Jaures in the last minute.
Monaco were rampant as they crushed Troyes 4-0 away from home. A brace from Shabani Nonda was allied to strikes from Ludovic Giuly and Marcelo Gallardo.
Nantes made the perfect start to the new Le Championnat season with a comfortable 2-0 victory in Marseille.
Second half goals from Mario Yepes and Mathieu Berson clinched the points for the visitors in Stade Velodrome.
Last term's leading scorer Pauleta picked up where he left off with Bordeaux's opening goal in their 3-0 triumph in Lille.
A quick-fire second half double from Alexei Smertin and Eduardo Costa secured the points for Les Girondins.
Montpellier required an 87th minute goal from Franck Silvestre to edge past Rennes, while Sedan and Sochaux scrapped out a 0-0 stalemate.
Top flight newcomers Strasbourg and Ajaccio drew 1-1 with a Martial Robin own goal after just six minutes putting the hosts in front but Xavier Collin spared his team-mate's blushes with a 27th minute leveller for Ajaccio.
Fellow new boys Le Havre notched a superb 2-1 success at Nice as they came from behind with only ten men.
Souleymane Diawara was sent off on 48 minutes for two bookable offences before his namesake Kaba fired Nice in front on 63 minutes.
But Le Havre tenaciously stormed back with Laurent Ciechelski equalising and then Olivier Fauconnier snatched the points with an 81st minute winner.
French Le Championnat:
Bastia 1-1 Lens
Lille 0-3 Bordeaux
Marseille 0-2 Nantes
Montpellier 1-0 Rennes
Nice 1-2 Le Havre
PSG 1-0 Auxerre
Sedan 0-0 Sochaux
Strasbourg 1-1 Ajaccio
Troyes 0-4 Monaco
