Recap: Lille Win Derby du Nord in Dramatic Fashion

The 99th edition of the Derby du Nord nearly ended in a scoreless draw, but LOSC Lille scored twice in the second half stoppage time to secure a 2-0 win over RC Lens on Saturday night at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

In the first half, the home side was the most dangerous on the attack, as Lens recorded seven total shots while Lille countered with two. Despite Lens having more total shots than the away side, the match went into halftime 0-0.

The final 45 minutes were a completely different story. Les Dogues’ attack woke up and recorded nine total shots, while Will Still and his team countered with four. Even though LOSC was the more dangerous side in the second half, the contest was heading toward a scoreless draw.

Right when the two sides would leave the match with a point, Lille’s offense broke the hearts of the home supporters, scoring twice in the second half stoppage time with goals from Jonathan David and Mohamed Bayo.

Following the match, manager Bruno Génésio spoke to the media and expressed his happiness with his squad's performance this week.

"It's a bit more than just a very, very good week. Taking four points out of six in the league and three points in Madrid is extraordinary. I think [Lens] had the upper hand a bit in the first half, controlled the game more, and could have led. But I feel like we gradually took control as the match went on. The entry of our fresh players did us good. We had a few chances before that penalty. The second goal is more anecdotal since Lens pushed forward."

"It was a complete match, both in terms of spirit, the aggression that's very important in a derby, but also – compared to Monaco – in what we showed in our play. We could have been more dangerous, but it's a solid match, especially after playing on Wednesday. I want to congratulate my players. We should enjoy these moments but keep our feet on the ground and focus on the Lyon match with a packed schedule ahead."

Lille capped off an impressive week with wins over Atlético de Madrid and RC Lens, putting Génésio and his team level with Olympique de Marseille on 17 points, but OM hold the edge on goal differential.

If Marseille lose to Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique, Lille could overtake OM, moving into second place ahead of Roberto De Zerbi and his side with a win against Olympique Lyonnais on Friday.

Génésio has also picked up 17 points from his first nine Ligue 1 games with Lille, equaling René Girard’s record for the best start by a Lille manager in the top flight since 2000.

This loss marks RC Lens' first under new manager Will Still, and Les Sang et Or will aim to rebound next weekend against PSG.

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