UCL Recap: Haraldsson's Late Goal Lifts Lille Past Sturm Graz

Hákon Arnar Haraldsson was the hero for LOSC Lille on Wednesday night as the Ligue 1 side secured a 3-2 win over SK Sturm Graz at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League.

Lille took advantage of having the home crowd behind them, scoring two goals late in the first half. The first goal came courtesy of an assist from Alexsandro to Osame Sahraoui in the 37th minute after the 23-year-old fired a left-footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner.

Mitchel Bakker recorded the second goal in the first half stoppage time following the defender's left-footed shot from the center of the box to the high center of the goal.

After taking a 2-0 lead, Lille were moments away from taking their two-goal advantage into halftime, but Sturm Graz scored in the first half stoppage time thanks to a goal from Otar Kiteishvili, who fired off a shot from the left side of the box to the top left corner as the contest ended 2-1 following the first 45 minutes.

It didn't take long for Sturm Graz to find the equalizing goal early in the second half as William Böving assisted on the goal from Mika Biereth after the 21-year-old let off a right-footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner.

The match was minutes away from ending in a disappointing draw for Lille considering they held a 2-0 lead, but that's when Haraldsson came to the rescue as he scored in the 81st minute off an assist from Jonathan David to get off a right-footed shot from the right side of the box to the top right corner to give Lille a 3-2 advantage.

Lille held onto the win to secure all three points and have qualified for the next phase of the competition as Bruno Génésio and his team look to finish in the top eight.

After the match Lille veteran Thomas Meunier spoke to the media and gave a high praise for Haraldsson.

"I really like him because he makes a difference by playing simple. You can see it here—his control, his shot, it's quality. You can tell he's been working on it in training. Since his return, he's been someone who can really add value to the team, both individually and collectively. For me, he's exactly the kind of player I love watching—elegant and simple."

The Stat: Lille Make Club History in the Champions League

Ligue 1 clubs have been shining in this season's Champions League, and Lille is no exception. Les Dogues have made club history by winning four games in a single Champions League campaign for the first time ever.

READ MORE:

>>Recap: PSG dominate Salzburg on the road
>>Recap: Brest edge to UCL qualification with win over PSV