The shock between Lille and Monaco almost did not keep its promises, Sunday, December 6, as the third and fifth in Ligue 1 have long been neutralized in a match announced as the poster of this 13e Ligue 1 day. And then, in the space of ten minutes at the end of half-time, the Northerners found the key to the Monegasque safe at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, before making the break.
The meeting had started timidly, although the two teams, tied on points at kickoff (23) and best attacks in the championship behind Paris Saint-Germain, gave hope for an offensive show at kickoff. It was then necessary to wait for the quarter of an hour of play to attend the first Monegasque foray into the Lille defense, on a too crushed strike from Diop.
While the players of the Rock circulated the ball by dismissing the game, without managing to overflow a northern block in place, the two teams joined the locker room with a goalless score.
A new test for Monaco
The second period was marked by two shots from Lille. Turkish striker Yilmaz first shifted Ikoné to the axis, before the deflected strike from the French international reached the feet of Jonathan David. The center forward adjusted Mannone closely for the opener (1-0, 53e). Then the striker gave way to Yazici, who widened the gap three minutes later with a cross shot from the penalty spot. The Turkish striker – tenth goal of the season – concluded a good counter-attack led by his compatriot Yilmaz, who, after pushing the ball into the penalty area, eliminated two Monegasque defenders on a lag.
Positioned on a low defensive block until the end of the match, the Mastiffs were nevertheless surprised on a bell pass from Cesc Fabregas for the new entrant Pellegri, at the corner of the area, who deceived Maignan with a cross shot from the left (2-1, 90e). Too late, however, to hope to hang the draw.
With this seventh victory in thirteen games, Lille confirms its very good start to the 2020-2021 year, and takes the runner-up chair of Paris-Saint-Germain on its own, two points ahead of Olympique de Marseille which still has two games. late. The Phocéens will welcome Monaco – still fifth in Ligue 1 – on Saturday 12 December, for a new test between contenders for the podium.
