Lille Held to Draw by Nice, Lyon Triumphs in “Le Derby”
Lille’s hopes of climbing into the top three of Ligue 1 were dashed by a dramatic 96th-minute equalizer from Nice, resulting in a 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, Lyon emerged victorious in the historic “Le Derby” against Saint-Etienne, securing a 1-0 triumph.
Lille twice took the lead through Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Mitchel Bakker, but Nice responded on both occasions, with Sofiane Diop and Tom Louchet finding the net. The draw leaves Lille in fourth place, while Nice remains in sixth.
Lille coach Bruno Genesio expressed disappointment, acknowledging that his team failed to capitalize on their opportunities. “We deserved to win, but when you don’t do enough, you can get caught out,” he said.
In the Lyon-Saint-Etienne derby, Alexandre Lacazette’s 29th-minute goal proved decisive. Despite a late scare when a VAR review overturned a potential Lyon goal, Saint-Etienne failed to find an equalizer, extending their winless streak to seven matches.
Elsewhere, Reims climbed to seventh with a 3-0 victory over Le Havre, while Montpellier earned a crucial 3-1 home win against Brest. Toulouse moved up to 10th with a 2-0 triumph at Rennes, who are reportedly close to appointing Jorge Sampaoli as their new coach.