Revenge is said to be a dish best served cold. In Lille, it was consumed in the heated atmosphere of the Nord derby, in front of an enthusiastic crowd, still burning from the debacle at Bollaert stadium (3-0) last September during the first leg.
Dominating the game, Lille got their revenge on Lens (3-0) on Saturday night, further jeopardizing Sang et Or’s chances in the Ligue 1 title race against PSG. The Losc confirms, in the heart of this 28th matchday, their resurgence after a catastrophic start to the year: the northern club is now undefeated in eight league matches and has won five of the last six games. This return to the forefront is also reflected in the standings, with Lille climbing to third place (50 points) pending Marseille’s challenging match against Monaco on Sunday night.
At a higher level, this victory significantly diminishes Lens’ chances (2nd, 59 pts) in their race against Paris Saint-Germain, who now hold a four-point lead with an extra game to play. This effect will delight Lille supporters, who have an ancient rivalry with Lens, making this derby one of the fiercest in France.
If Lille emerged victorious, it was mainly due to the lessons learned from their disappointing match at Bollaert, where they were outmatched by fired-up Lens players. This time, Bruno Genesio’s squad operated on a different level than the miners in terms of intensity from the start of the match, outperforming in runs, duels, and second-ball possessions.
Lille omnipresent
Lens goalkeeper, Robin Risser, had to make saves against attempts from Haraldsson (19th) and Matias Fernandez-Pardo (26th), preferring Olivier Giroud upfront. A successful choice as the rapid striker was involved in many positive plays, assisting Haraldsson’s opening goal (44th), demonstrating accuracy and precision.
Only a significant mistake by Félix Correia allowed Odsonne Edouard to take a shot saved by Berke Özer (32nd), after the first half-hour where Lille had 79% of possession. After this scare without consequences, the Portuguese player scored the second goal (49th), capitalizing on another defensive error, this time by Nidal Celik, who completely forgot about him as Lens was about to regain possession.
Despite Risser deflecting another Correia attempt (52nd), Lens never managed to find their rhythm in the derby, lacking in both athleticism and technical skills. Their usual leaders also faltered. At the end of this disappointing match, the Artois club is close to giving up on the title and focusing on their other major goal: the French Cup, where they are in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Lille is in a much better position and can once again dream of the Champions League, especially with the return of their captain Benjamin André, Ethan Mbappé, and Osame Sahraoui.
