In the race to secure an automatic spot in next season's UEFA Champions League, LOSC Lille defeated RC Lens 2-1 on Friday night at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in the latest installment of the Derby du Nord.
The first half was challenging for Lens, who took two shots total, but none of them went on target. Franck Haise and his team's lack of an attack became more concerning when, in the ninth minute, Lille's Edon Zhegrova opened the scoring.
Lens' defense didn't allow another goal in the first half despite Lille registering six total shots. Upon returning from the dressing room, Zhegrova added Lille's second goal in the 60th minute to take a 2-0 lead.
Even though Les Sang et Or faced a two-goal deficit, they didn’t go down easily. Elye Wahi, who came on as a substitute in the second half, scored in the 78th minute to make the contest 2-1.
The goal from Wahi couldn't spark a comeback to at least salvage a draw as Lille held on for the victory even though they did face a scare late in the match.
Plus Fiers, plus Forts, plus Féroces.
— LOSC (@losclive) March 29, 2024
Les Dogues remportent ce Derby du Nord, à la maison, grâce à un doublé d’Edon Zhegrova 😍#LOSCRCL 2-1 I 90' pic.twitter.com/027DHpe1rA
Both teams are competing fiercely for the coveted Champions League spots, making these three points crucial for Les Dogues. Lille have jumped over AS Monaco for third place at the moment due to the goal differential tiebreaker as both teams have 46 points.
A draw or win over Metz will allow Adi Hütter and his team to retake that position. After the loss, Lens are in sixth place (42 points) and currently on the outside looking for a European competition spot for next season.
Lens will also have to look over their shoulder as a win by Olympique de Marseille and Stade Rennais, who both have 39 points, this weekend will see them level Lens on points and make the race to play in a European competition next season even more congested.
