THE MATCH

Montpellier had won their last two league games scoring nine goals in the process while Lille had won just one of their last four, and had been beaten by the previously winless OGC Nice at home on Wednesday taking the tally they had conceded in two matches on their own turf to a worrying nine following their 7-1 demolition by Paris Saint-Germain in Round 3.

But Paulo Fonseca's men took the game to the hosts early on with Tiago Djalo finding the crossbar with a header (5') and Jonathan Bamba threatening (6'). Ismaily then struck a post (11') before the visitors nearly inflicted a wound on themselves: Elye Wahi seized onto Jose Fonte's poor backpass, but after rounding Leo Jardim, he was unable to fire past Tiago Djalo and into the open goal (14').

Just six minutes later, however, he did profit fully from another defensive slip. Jordan Ferri's high ball forward enticed Jardim out of his penalty area, but the LOSC goalkeeper misjudged the flight, allowing Wahi to lob the ball home with Fonte and Bafodé Diakité powerless to stop him (20').

Matis Carvalho, making only the third Ligue 1 Uber Eats appearance of his career with Jonas Omlin suspended and Dimitry Bertaud injured, boxed away an Angel Gomes shot (30') as LOSC sought to make amends for their defensive frailty. 

They finally did so four minutes from half-time when Rémy Cabella, whose every touch was roundly booed on his return to the club where he made his name and played on loan last season, found David. The Canada international brilliantly half-swivelled and shot in one fluid movement to send the ball across Carvalho and into the far corner (41').

The momentum swung still further the visitors' way when Valère Germain was dismissed for raking his studs down Adam Ounas' left calf (45+3') to leave Montpellier, who missed the creativity of the suspended Téji Savanier and the injured Wahbi Khazri, with a whole half to negotiate with only ten men.

Before the hour mark, it told. With space and time, Cabella found Angel Gomes, who steered a low shot beyond Carvalho (57') to put LOSC ahead. Tiago Djalo forced Carvalho to tip a header over the crossbar (79') before David rasped a low shot across Carvalho and into the far corner from a Bamba pass in added time (90+5') as Lille registered a third victory of the campaign, beating an opponent that has now failed to defeat them in nine successive top-flight encounters.

THE PLAYER: Rémy Cabella

His part in Montpellier's 2011/12 Ligue 1 title success was forgotten as he received a hostile reception, but the former Newcastle United and Krasnodar midfielder had the last laugh in setting up his team's first two goals before being withdrawn due to injury.

THE STAT: 17

Wahi has scored 17 times in Ligue 1 in his career. The 19-year-old is behind only Karim Benzema (18) and Kylian Mbappé (41) in terms of French top-flight goals scored before their 20th birthday.

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