More solid and inspired, Lille dominated Lens (2-1) in the Northern derby on Friday March 29 at the opening of the 27th day of Ligue 1, ensuring regional domination and a breakthrough towards Europe.
Thanks to this victory in an almost packed Pierre-Mauroy stadium, LOSC (46 points) temporarily steals third place from Monaco, which travels to Metz on Saturday, and pushes back its rival Lensois (sixth, with 42 points).
The northern club is also ideally launching the final race of its season, during which it will have a quarter-final of the Europa Conference League that resembles a final to play against Aston Villa, on April 11 and 18.
This match thus had multiple issues, and had particular importance in the eyes of the supporters of these two northern clubs. The electric atmosphere driven by the ultras from the East turn at the start of the match spoke volumes about the weight of the match.
Their players did not miss the meeting. The Dogues bit from the first opportunity of the match, by Edon Zhegrova (9th), who made Facundo Medina and Brice Samba dance after a sumptuous opening from midfielder, almost without momentum, Nabil Bentaleb.
The public at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium did not yet know it, but the midfielder, who arrived at the start of the season in his hometown, was going to be the maestro of this meeting. Always well positioned, Bentaleb directed the game wonderfully in this match which was particularly close to his heart.
Lille on the way to the Champions League
Up front, Zhegrova was the executioner of Lensois by doubling the score on the hour mark, in the right place at the right time to take a shot from Gabriel Gudmundsson pushed back at his feet by Brice Samba (60th).
Replacing to everyone’s surprise at the kick-off in favor of Wesley Saïd, Elye Wahi, who came on just after Zhegrova’s second goal, reduced the score with a nice left-footed shot (78th). But that was not enough for Franck Haise’s players, too static and inactive in the first half, too clumsy overall, to come out victorious in this match.
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As often this season, the Artesian club failed against better ranked players than it, far from the exploits to which it had accustomed its supporters during the 2022-2023 financial year.
The Artois club concludes its series of five crucial matches against direct opponents in the race for Europe with a defeat, with a disappointing record of three defeats – against Monaco (3-2), Nice (3-1) and Lille (2-1) – and two victories – in Lyon (3-0) and against Brest (1-0).
More pressing after the reduction of Wahi, a permanent danger for the defense of LOSC, Lens pushed to scare the Lille supporters, in vain. It is ultimately Lille, at the end of a controlled score, sometimes by proceeding with a placed attack, sometimes by dazzling transitions, which rushes towards the Champions League.