Ligue 1: Lille overthrows Brest and wins

The game: 2-1

Five days after its spectacular and frustrating defeat at the Parc des Princes (3-4, against Paris-SG, February 19), Lille had the opportunity to resume its march forward, this Friday evening, at the opening of the 25th Ligue 1 day. Especially since Brest presented themselves as the first non-relegation player and diminished by the absence of seven players at kick-off. The LOSC succeeded in doing so, after being scared again, in the first period.

Because LOSC has taken the dirty habit of polluting its matches, by running on diesel in their starts. Without even bothering to fuel, Brest took the opportunity to open the scoring on a stopped game phase: a returning corner from Lala, deflected into his own net from the hip by Djalo, pressed by Dari (8th). It couldn’t have started off worse for Mastiffs in dire need of binder and bite. And it didn’t go away right away. Only André Gomez, from an outside right in the center (16th), and Bamba, from a rolled up right in an eccentric position, sought the frame (26th). Jonathan David, he found the crossbar of Bizot (29th). Either the sixteenth outgoing for Lille, this season.

This lack of success does not explain everything, if they have not managed to open the scoring for the sixth time, in their last seven meetings. Lacking imagination, Lille too easily fell into the trap set by Brest, which intelligently closed the heart of the game to them. Well organized in 4-3-3, the SB29 managed the performance, rare at this level, of lead at half-time, without having shot once on goal.

The second period was necessarily more complicated, for Brestois who quickly lost Lala (55th) and ended up cracking, on two corners taken from the head by Diakité (60th), then Alexsandro (81st). On the second goal, Bizot badly negotiated his exit. It cost Brest dearly, the only opponent that LOSC had not yet beaten in the last three seasons (three draws and two defeats). It is now done for Lille, after a tense end to the match on both sides. But who finally smiled at him.

The player: Diakité, wounded hero

Bafodé Diakité went through all the emotions, in two minutes flat. Already author of Lille’s first goal at the Parc des Princes last Sunday (3-4), it was again he who revived his team in front of Brest by equalizing with a header from a corner coming out of Zhegrova (60th). But two minutes later, while he was in the fight with Arconte, the French right side injured his left thigh. Enough to have to give way to Gabriel Gudmundsson (65th).