While they could put pressure on the Lyonnais and the Parisians, the Northerners did the opposite and seem to skate at the worst time, two weeks before going to challenge PSG at the Parc des Princes.
At the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, Lille was a huge favorite but the meeting quickly turned badly when the restless Koné opened the scoring (0-1, 12e ). At the origin of the action, Zinedine Ferhat found in depth Niclas Eliasson. In the duel, the Swede tackled the ball towards Koné, who propelled it into the skylight with a forceful strike from the right foot.
Despite this setback, Lille remained in their game plan and their first real opportunity was the right one. Left alone at the far post on a corner taken by Jonathan Bamba, Xeka took a head on which the goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet was not imperial (1-1, 20e ).
Well in place in the defensive phase, Nîmes came out of the woods just before the break on a magnificent action: doubling of passes between Birger Meling and Ferhat on the left side and deep opening of the second towards Ripart, whose outside of the right pique deceived Mike Maignan (1-2, 45e ).
Center-back Sven Botman out on injury (75e ) and the minutes ticking by without the chances arriving, Lille fell to three behind to intensify the pressure. A tactical change that has not changed the facts of the problem facing a very tightly regrouped Nîmes team.
Nîmes for its part made a very good deal at the bottom of the table and came out of the relegation zone (18e and barrage, 29 pts), in which plunges Nantes (28 pts).
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