The match: 1-1
Lille has regained its place of dolphin of PSG, at the end of a weekend where the leading positions have tightened significantly. But the LOSC would have preferred to get even closer to the leader. Hanging this Sunday in Saint-Etienne (1-1), the northern club remains two points behind Paris, at the same time as it sees Lyon, Monaco and Montpellier rise to its height. Christophe Galtier’s players could have done better. But, led at the break by more dashing Greens, they could also have fallen to Geoffroy-Guichard. In the end, ASSE did not steal this draw which ended a series of seven defeats.
In the first period, the Stéphanois played the blow perfectly by forcing the Lille to defend and by multiplying the long stretches. Which resulted on several occasions. Mike Maignan interposed in front of Khazri (4th) and Trauco (15th), but he had to bow on a penalty from the attacker (32nd), obtained for a questionable fault from Bradaric, who fell. Just before half-time, Maignan was still vigilant on a cross strike from Hamouma (45th), to preserve the northern chances.
Upon recovery, the scenario reversed. The Mastiffs took over the business and, again, were quick to see their risk taking rewarded. After a first opportunity for Araujo badly negotiated (50th) and a header from André on the crossbar (61st), Lille equalized by Jonathan Ikoné, well served by Yilmaz in the Saint-Etienne area (65th). The LOSC then pushed until the end of the match to try to win, in vain, Yilmaz seeing his last recovery fly away in the empty stands (77th). To the relief of the Greens, tired but not fanny this time.
The player: Yilmaz still decisive
Absent for two matches, Burak Yilmaz has regained his place at the forefront and his influence on the game of LOSC. Little in sight with the ball in the first period, despite an activity and a physical impact still as valuable, the Turkish striker (35 years, 63 caps) was decisive in the second. At the origin of several movements by its orientations and deviations, he offered the equalizer ball to Ikoné with a subtle handing over of the chest (65th). Very close then to offer the victory to his family (77th), he was nevertheless decisive eight times in the last seven matches of Lille in Ligue 1 (6 goals, 2 assists).
0
Lille did not frame a single shot in the first period at Saint-Etienne, which had not happened to him since November 2019 and a match against Marseille.