LOSC moved back to within two points of Ligue 1 Uber Eats leaders Paris Saint-Germain after cruising to a 4-0 win over FC Lorient on Sunday. Yusuf Yazici scored twice for the home side at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, and Jonathan David finally got off the mark.
LOSC 4-0 FC Lorient
THE MATCH
Lille came into this game decimated by injuries and suspensions, with Renato Sanches, Zeki Çelik, José Fonte and Burak Yilmaz all absent. But Yazici was handed a rare start in the league and repaid the confidence placed in him by coach Christophe Galtier as Les Dogues bounced back from a 3-2 defeat in Brest just before the international break.
An umarked Yazici collected a pass from Jonathan Bamba in the box, turned and fired home in the 29th minute for the opening goal, which was initially disallowed for offside before being given by the referee following consultation with the VAR.
David struck the post just before the interval, but Lille ran away with the game in the second half as the Canadian striker cut the ball back for Yazici to clip in his and his team’s second goal (51’).
Shortly after that Luiz Araujo made it 3-0 with a first-time finish from Yazici’s assist (57’), and Lille wrapped up the points towards the end as the much-maligned David finally got his first goal since signing from Gent in the close season when he coolly picked his spot low into the net as the clock ticked into the 90th minute.
It is a first win in four league outings for Galtier’s men, who end the weekend clear in second place again. Lorient, in contrast, end the weekend in the bottom three.
THE PLAYER: Yusuf Yazici
It is impossible to look beyond Yazici, as the Turkish international finally brought his European form to the domestic scene. The ex-Trabzonspor man has scored Europa League hat-tricks in wins away to Sparta Prague and AC Milan already this season, but he was only given his first domestic start of the campaign in the defeat at Brest last time out. With Yilmaz missing he again started here and was outstanding with two goals and an assist to help put the game to bed before the hour mark.
THE STAT: 15
Lille have won 15 home Ligue 1 games since the beginning of last season, while suffering just two defeats in that time. Only Paris Saint-Germain (16) have more home wins in the same period.
