LOSC went top of Ligue 1 Uber Eats with Burak Yilmaz, Jonathan Bamba, Jonathan Ikoné and Yusuf Yazici firing them to a 4-0 Derby du Nord thrashing of RC Lens on Sunday night.
LOSC 4-0 RC Lens
THE MATCH
There was precious little to separate les Dogues from their northern rivals at kick-off, the hosts just a single place and point better off than their visitors. Christophe Galtier's side soon exerted their dominance once play got underway, though. Yilmaz gave notice of his threat when he fired narrowly off target when off balance early on (6') and minutes later he headed home his third goal in as many games having worked space for himself at the back post following a Renato Sanches free-kick (11'). The Turkey striker came close to doubling his tally just past the half-hour with his own rocket of a free-kick, but Jean-Louis Leca scrambled well to make the save (31'). Leca ended the half brilliantly - indeed he had to. Bamba slipped a disguised through-ball in for Luiz Araujo, but the visiting 'keeper raced off his line to beat the Brazilian to the ball (43'). Araujo had another gilt-edged chance seconds later, but this time Leca got a hand to his bottom corner-bound effort (44') and François Letexier's whistle for half-time went with the score at 1-0.
Bark and bite
The second half was only minutes old when the deadlock was breached once again, though. Zeki Çelik drilled in a low cross from the right and Bamba was on hand to steer his third goal of the season past a helpless Leca (47'). Lens were finding Bamba's ability to play between the lines impossible to handle and the winger might have bagged another had his curling effort not stayed high of Leca's top corner. Lens were given a mountain to climb soon after when Jonathan Gradit was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence after a foul on Yilmaz (57'). Galtier's opposite number Franck Haise brought Tony Mauricio on for already yellow-carded captain Yannick Cahuzac in response (59') but the second-half traffic continued to flow in the same direction. LOSC pulled further clear when Ikoné - minutes after replacing Yilmaz - guided a goal in off the base of the far post (69'). Lens defender Clément Michelin then had a four-minute involvement in the match; sent off for a dangerous tackle on Bamba (75') and LOSC duly piled on the misery, Yusuf Yazici completing the scoring at 4-0 (79').
THE PLAYER: Burak Yilmaz
Yilmaz may have turned 35 in June, but the veteran Turkey striker has been top class following his summer arrival from Besiktas, and now has three goals and an assist from his seven games played. Yilmaz has played for both sides of the Intercontinental Derby - Galatasaray and Fenerbache - and can now add Derby du Nord heroics to his list of individual achievements.
THE STAT: 7
Lille are now seven games undefeated to kick off the 2020/21 Ligue 1 Uber Eats season, picking up 18 of a possible 21 points. Les Dogues have not lost a league game since mid-February when they were edged 2-1 by Olympique de Marseille. Galtier's charges are also the only team not to have conceded a first-half goal this term.