Former France international, Olivier Giroud scored a late winner as Lille defeated Lens 1-0 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Friday to move into second place in the Ligue 1 table.
Lille went into the encounter seeking to end a four-match winless run across all competitions, but Lens threatened first when Thorgan Hazard tested goalkeeper Berke Ozer with an early effort.
The hosts responded through Ethan Mbappe, whose curling attempt from the edge of the penalty area narrowly missed the target.
Lille continued to create opportunities, with Soriba Diaoune forcing a fine save from Robin Risser before hitting the crossbar with another effort.
Lens also had their moments, as Saud Abdulhamid forced Ozer into a save at his near post, ensuring both sides went into the break without a goal.
Lille maintained their attacking pressure after the restart, with Mbappe again denied by Risser following a quickly taken free-kick from Nabil Bentaleb. Hakon Arnar Haraldsson also came close, but the Lens goalkeeper produced another important stop.
Lens threatened on the counter through Florian Thauvin, but Ozer came off his line to clear the danger after the forward’s heavy touch.
However, Lille eventually found the breakthrough when Bentaleb’s long-range effort was parried by Risser into the path of Giroud, who fired home from the rebound to secure victory and score for the second consecutive league match.
The result handed Lille only their third victory in their last eight home Ligue 1 matches, moving them into second place and keeping them within reach of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Meanwhile, Lens saw their three-match winning streak in the league come to an end and remain five points behind Lille.
