Match Reports
Recap: Lille Come from Behind to Defeat Nice
The match saw two teams battling for an automatic spot in next season's UEFA Champions League, making the three points vital.
Le Gym opened the scoring midway through the first half, courtesy of a goal from Sofiane Diop in the 29th minute. The 24-year-old scored on a right-footed shot from very close range to the center of the box to make it 1-0.
Nice went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, but that advantage didn't last long as the home side leveled the scoring early in the second half. Hákon Arnar Haraldsson scored the game-tying goal in the 48th minute on a right-footed shot from the left side of the box to the top left corner off an assist from Jonathan David.
In the second half, Bafodé Diakité scored the go-ahead goal to give Lille a 2-1 lead in the 63rd minute. The 24-year-old scored on a right-footed shot from the left side of the six-yard box to the top left corner following a corner.
Following the 2-1 win over Nice, Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier spoke to DAZN to share what led to this turnaround win after conceding the first goal.
"We didn’t start well, and Nice came out strong. We had a bit of a wake-up call at the break, but then we responded really well and were very effective. So, yeah, we're happy, especially considering the packed schedule. We're also managing to stay fully committed, which is great. We just need to keep it up."
"We know we're a quality team, but we couldn’t keep playing like that for 45 minutes. I stayed pretty calm at half-time because I felt there was a real chance to turn things around. It was definitely possible. I’m not sure if there’s some special trick, but we’ll keep pushing as long as we can."
The Stat: Bruno Génésio makes history in Lille's win
Lille manager Bruno Génésio has the squad playing at an impressive level in his first season. Following the win over Nice, Génésio made history as the French tactician became the first coach to accumulate 32 points after 18 games on the bench in Ligue 1 with Lille since Frédéric Antonetti in 2016.
READ MORE:
