Ethan Mbappé delivered the crucial blow just 10 minutes into the contest as Lille edged Marseille 1-0, cutting the gap to Ligue 1 leaders Lens to two points.
The 18-year-old, handed his first start since recovering from injury, showed remarkable composure when he pounced on a defensive mix-up between Marseille’s backline and goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli.
Mbappé expertly controlled Nabil Bentaleb’s long pass before bending the ball beyond the stranded keeper to fire Lille into an early lead.
Clear-cut chances were scarce throughout the encounter. Lille managed only five attempts worth 0.36 expected goals, while Marseille created slightly more danger with six shots and 0.52 xG, though they too struggled to find a breakthrough.
Mason Greenwood, the league’s top scorer, nearly rescued a point for the visitors in the 76th minute, but Berke Özer produced a superb stop to preserve the game’s only goal.
The victory marks Lille’s fourth consecutive win across all competitions, their best streak since early 2021, when they strung together seven straight. The night was also
