OGC Nice 1-1 LOSC

THE MATCH

These teams experienced starkly contrasting fortunes in the Europa League on Thursday, with Lille winning 4-1 away at Sparta Prague while Nice went down 6-2 away to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Lille were defending an unbeaten record this season but went behind five minutes into the second half on the Côte d’Azur. It was a lovely goal from Nice, with Morgan Schneiderlin and Rony Lopes involved before Alexis Claude-Maurice slipped in Kasper Dolberg. The Danish striker then beat Mike Maignan in the Lille goal with a lovely clipped finish.

However LOSC were back level before the hour mark as Luiz Araujo picked out Burak Yilmaz in the box and the veteran Turkish striker controlled beautifully on his chest before volleying home emphatically (58’).

Still Nice should have won it but substitute Khéphren Thuram somehow contrived to head wide from six yards out at the back post after being picked out by an Amine Gouiri free-kick delivery.

The result keeps Nice in touch at the top and leaves Lille level on points now with leaders Paris Saint-Germain, albeit Christophe Galtier’s side trail the reigning champions on goal difference.

THE PLAYER: Burak Yilmaz

Yilmaz, 35, looks more at home in France as each week goes by. Rested from the starting line-up in Prague in the Europa League, the Turkish forward has now scored four goals in the last four Ligue 1 Uber Eats games for his team.

THE STAT: 11

Lille are now unbeaten in their last 11 Ligue 1 games. Before today - and even then only for eight minutes - they had not been behind in a game all season.