Although Lille’s recent home record left a lot to be desired, Les Dogues’ recent H2H form against Les Sang et Or provided them with some hope, and the hosts were very much on the front foot in a dominant first-half display.
After their defeat to Aston Villa in the UEFA Europa League last month, the league represents Lille’s only avenue to UEFA Champions League qualification for next season, and their performance in the opening 45 minutes showed plenty of determination and desire.
The home side controlled possession and momentum in the first half, but they had to wait until one minute before the break to take the lead.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo’s pass across the area from the byline found Hákon Haraldsson unmarked, and the Icelandic midfielder directed the ball into an empty net from point-blank range to give the hosts a half-time lead.
Although the visitors had produced a disappointing first-half display, they knew they were still very much in the contest as the second half got underway.
However, just four minutes after the restart, Matthieu Udol’s misplaced back pass was intercepted by Felix Correia, and the winger rounded Robin Risser before slotting home to double the hosts’ advantage.
The visitors faced an uphill battle after this setback, but when Ismaelo Ganiou was penalised for handball inside the area, Fernandez-Pardo made no mistake to put the seal on a win.
The result saw Lille avenge their 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture to lift Les Dogues two places into third, while Lens remain second and four points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, having played a game more.