Ligue 1 Match Report: Lille vs. Marseille

With Paris Saint Germain sitting at 37 points, Lille needed a win to close in on the leader. And this time, there were up against a formidable Olympique Marseille on their home turf at Grand Stade Lille Metropole. Lille came into the match shaken after a surprise loss against Valenciennes, one of the lowest ranked teams in Ligue 1. Marseille themselves came into the match with a narrow victory over Montpellier. However, the home crowd was in for a rude shock when the visitors dominated the match for prolonged periods of play. Only a dramatic stoppage-time header by Nolan Roux saw the crowd jump out of their seats to cheer for their team.

It was a cagey start by both teams, with an early shot on goal by OM midfielder Florian Thauvin. Lille’s Ronny Rodelin’s free-kick from distance from the distance was met by an excellent save by OM goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, with Roux heading the corner over the bar. Florent Balmont was the next home player to test the gloves of the Marseille stopper with a long-range attempt as Lille looked to apply some early pressure. OM struck back as Thauvin’s offensive counterattack took Lille defenders by surprise. Benoit Cheyrou tied up Andre-Pierre Gignac only for his effort to be well saved by Vincent Enyeama.

With the half time approaching, a goal looked unlikely as both teams rallied to score that lone goal that would make a difference. However, neither coach went for a substitution, with both teams ending at no goals at half-time. Post-half time, OM went into offensive, as Gignac acrobatically turned Dmitri Payet’s cross goalwards only for Lille’s goalkeeper Enyeama to match his effort with a superb save. The Nigerian goalkeeper was kept busy for most of the half as OM continued to press hard forward. However, Lille’s defenders managed to keep the attacking OM at bay and the teams ended 0-0 at the end of 90 minutes.

Restless, the home crowds were soon in for a delight as Roux snatched the ball from an OM offensive to net a goal beyond the diving Mandanda, getting Lille the much desired 3 points on the table. The result ensures Lille continues its pursuit of PSG for the title; however also proving that Lille has much to improve in defense and midfield. Lille hopes to win the Ligue 1 title after a gap of 3 years by defeating defending champions PSG, even as they as seek to gain entry to the Champions League by finishing in the top 2.