PLAYER RATINGS | Lens 1-1 Lille: Derby du Nord ends in stalemate

Ligue 1 Uber Eats, Round 8, 08/10/2023

RC Lens and Lille OSC saw out a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s Derby du Nord at the Stade Bollaert. The point temporarily lifts Lille to seventh ahead of Rennes’ match against PSG later on Sunday night. 

Lens were looking to finish their week on another high note, following victories over Strasbourg and then Arsenal in the Champions League. They started with intent, pressing Lille high and preventing Paulo Fonseca’s side from getting a foothold in the game. Wesley Saïd and Florian Sotoca both went close for Franck Haise’s side, but Lucas Chevalier rested in the Europa Conference League in midweek, made the crucial saves. 

Lille, thanks to the press resistance of Angel Gomes and Benjamin André, began to grow into the game and they got the opener just before half-time thanks to Benjamin André, who headed into an empty net after Brice Samba had tried, and failed to cut out Edon Zhegrova’s cross. 

Just like the first half, the second half was devoid of many clear-cut chances. One of the best fell to Salis Abdul Samed in the 47th minute, but he couldn’t deflect a deflected cross on target from around seven yards out. Lens did get their equaliser not long later. Deiver Machado, with his first touch since coming off the bench, latched onto Przemyslaw Frankowski’s pin-point cross, beating Chevalier with a diving header. 

Neither side overly committed to secure the three points, but a huge chance fell to Adrien Thomasson in the final minute of stoppage time, but the Frenchman, who netted against Arsenal in midweek, could only place his shot wide. It ended honours even, and after a difficult start to the season, they are unbeaten in their last three Ligue 1 matches. 

Brice Samba – 4 – at fault for Lille’s