More solid and inspired, Lille dominated Lens (2-1) in the Northern derby on Friday 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 Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Losc (46 points) temporarily steals third place from Monaco, which travels to Metz on Saturday (5:00 p.m.), and pushes back its Lens rival (sixth, 42 points).
In the wake of the international break, 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 to play against Aston Villa (April 11 and 18). .
It was a match not to be lost for its multiple issues but above all for the importance it holds in the eyes of the supporters of these two clubs who historically hate each other. The electric atmosphere driven by the ultras of the East turn at the start of the match spoke volumes about the weight of this meeting.
Their players did not miss the meeting. The Mastiffs 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 the midfield, almost without momentum, from Nabil Bentaleb.
– Zhegrova, precise in the derby –
The public at Stade Pierre-Mauroy 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.
In front, Zhegrova, although having an unclear link with the North, being Kosovar, 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 that was repelled in 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 strike (78th).
The 21-year-old No.9 responded perfectly to his trainer Franck Haise, who had put him on the bench “to prick him”, convinced of his “potential”. “The last two matches of Elye (Wahi), I discussed it with him, I was not satisfied with what he had given, commented the Norman after the meeting. He remains a young player and I I’m an old coach, I have to make certain choices to get messages across.”
– Lens fails against the big names –
But that was not enough for Franck Haise’s players, too static and inactive in the first period, too clumsy overall, to come out victorious in this match.
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 Losc, at the end of a controlled score, sometimes by proceeding with a placed attack, sometimes by dazzling transitions, which offers itself national supremacy and rushes towards the Champions League.
AFP
2024-03-30 11:17:46
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