After leading 2-0, LOSC saw Sturm Graz come back to their level with goals scored at the end of the first period and at the start of the second. Salvation came from Hakon Haraldsson, providential scorer on his very first ball (3-2). With this success, the Mastiffs are in the Top 8 before the other matches of the evening.
Does the favorite suit suit the LOSC ? Very comfortable when he is in the position of the challenger, the northern club received the Storm Graz whom he faced last season in the Conference League. A priori nothing insurmountable even if the Austrians opened their account the previous day by beating Girona at home (1-0).
A perfect copy…
The Mastiffs took possession of the ball and imposed intense pressure on the loss on the outskirts of the opponent’s area. Remy Cabella found a shooting angle but rushed (5th). It took Sturm Graz 10 minutes to cross the halfway line and their first attempt was on target. Otar Kiteishvili. After losing the ballAlexsandrothe Austrians again approached Lucas Chevalierhardly in difficulty catching a soft head of Tochi Chukwuani after a good movement (12th).
But with 79% possession in the first quarter of an hour, Lille was already beginning to test the Austrian low block. After a relay ofIsmaily, Osame Sahraoui caused a penalty after contact with Niklas Geyrhofer. After an appeal by the VAR, the sanction was canceled, the Norwegian no longer being considered capable of recovering the ball when it touched the central defender (18th).
To crack the wall, rather than going there with a series of passes to get around it, Jonathan David tried the direct way, with a strike from outside the area stopped by Danill Khudyakov (26th). The Canadian had a golden opportunity, the last point of a triangle that he composed with Sahraoui and Thomas Meunier but, alone at point blank range, he sent the ball over, with a shin strike (30th).
In the absence ofEdon Zhegrovaa flash from the left was needed to settle this match. It was signed by Sahraoui who, after driving the ball from the right, crossed his left shot into the side net (37th). His very first goal in the Champions League.
The new Moroccan international almost added an assist just before the break: he found Meunier on the right who attempted a half-volley caught in two stages by Khudiakov (45th). On the other hand, with a recovery from Ismaily and enhanced by Sahraoui and David, the goalkeeper was unable to do anything when Mitchell Bakkerhelped by a defensive tackle to prevent Cabella from passing, slipped an outside from the winning left to make the break at the best moment (45th + 2).
… before scoring two goals
Too easy for LOSC. The decompensation immediately cost a goal. On a final cross, Kiteishvili, well placed at the far post in the area, sent a mine into Chevalier’s top corner (45th+4).
This goal conceded should have pushed the Mastiffs to start again strong to regain serenity. Alas, it was quite the opposite. Back to the game, Ayyoub Bouaddi lost the ball after shoulder contact on the right side with William Boving which overflowed to center on Mika Bierethalone to cut the center from close range (47th). The striker had an opportunity to score a double from a tight angle but Chevalier was attentive before an initial offside was signaled (53rd).
From a distance, Bakker shot straight at Khudyakov (55th) then, in the area, David did not wrap his left attempt enough to finish in the opposite net (61st). Initiatives which did not make us forget the ball losses, the lack of impact in the duels. Sturm Graz was close to breaking LOSC once again.
These are the two northern scorers who have given new life to their team. On the left side, Sahraoui found Bakker who fired from a tight angle but Khudyakov slammed it in for a corner (71st). Meunier, 18 meters away, tried without control, without bothering the Ukrainian goalkeeper (73rd).
The Icelandic moment
Lille could not end with a draw. Bruno Génésio made several changes and he used his last salvo perfectly. Entered in the 68th minute, Mathias Fernandez-Pardo found David in the axis which shifted Hakon Haraldsson. On his very first ball, the Icelander found Khudyakov’s top corner with an unstoppable right shot (81st).
Relevant and saving coaching for LOSC who could have been very sorry for having let such an opportunity slip away, especially after such a campaign. At the final whistle, the Mastiffs are 6th with 13 points (tied with Brest, 5th) and could approach the 7th day in the Top 8 depending on the result of Arsenal-Monaco and Borussia Dortmund-Barça.
