Football. Ligue 1: Lille takes revenge on RC Lens, plagued in the title race

It is said that revenge is a dish best served cold. In Lille, this revenge was taken in the heat of the Nord derby, in front of an enthusiastic crowd, fired up by the debacle experienced at Stade Bollaert (3-0) last September during the first leg.

Clearly dominant, Lille got their revenge on Lens (3-0) on Saturday night, further compromising the chances of the Sang et Or in the Ligue 1 title race against PSG. The Losc, at the heart of the 28th matchday, confirms its revival after a catastrophic start to the year: the northern club is on an eight-game unbeaten streak in the league, and their fifth win in the last six matches. This return to form is also reflected in the standings, where Lille climbs to third place (50 points) awaiting Marseille’s tough away game against Monaco on Sunday night.

At the top, this victory significantly jeopardizes Lens’ chances (2nd, 59 points) in their battle with Paris Saint-Germain, who now have a four-point lead and a game in hand. This outcome 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 is mainly thanks to the lessons learned from their disappointing match at Bollaert, where they were outplayed by fired-up Lensois players. This time, Bruno Genesio’s players operated at a higher intensity level right from the start of the match, in terms of runs, duels, and winning second balls.

Lille omnipresent

Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser had to work hard to keep out attempts from Haraldsson (19th minute) and Matias Fernandez-Pardo (26th minute), preferring Olivier Giroud upfront. A successful choice as the rapid striker was involved in many good plays for his team, setting up the opening goal for Haraldsson (44th minute), being precise and effective.

Only a big mistake from Felix Correia allowed Odsonne Edouard to get a shot saved by Berke Ozer (32nd minute), after a first half-hour where Lille had 79% of possession. After this scare with no consequences, the Portuguese player made an impact on the opposite end of the pitch by doubling the lead (49th minute), taking advantage of a defensive error this time by Nidal Celik, who completely forgot about him as Lens were about to regain possession.

Despite Risser deflecting another attempt from Correia (52nd minute), Lens never managed to get into their derby, both in the physical and technical aspects. Their usual leaders also faltered. At the end of this disappointing match, the Artois club is very close to giving up on the title and focusing on their other major objective: the Coupe de France, 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 returns of their captain Benjamin Andre, Ethan Mbappe, and Osame Sahraoui.