Yahoo Sports PLAYER RATINGS | Lille 3-3 Strasbourg: LOSC end losing streak in topsy-turvy affair
Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 5, 21/09/24
Lille OSC, despite leading 2-0 before the 30-minute mark, had to come from behind against a spirited RC Strasbourg Alsace side to salvage a draw (3-3) and put an end to a run of four consecutive defeats in all competitions.
The Match
The rhythm of this game was set early on. RCSA settled in a compact 5-4-1 out of possession and asked LOSC to break them down, whilst trying to hit on the break with the pace of Dilane Bakwa, Diego Moreira and in particular Emanuel Emegha. It was a game plan that failed to bear fruit early on with Edon Zhegrova causing issues and Angel Gomes finding spaces to influence the game.
It was Kosovo international Zhegrova who got the first goal of the game, lacking onto a Gomes through ball before doubling Les Dogues’ lead shortly after with a headed effort after Djordje Petrovic had done well to save an initial effort. However, Liam Rosenior’s side showed character to come back into the game.
Andrey Santos halved the deficit with a close-range finish after a strong double save from Lucas Chevalier before Emegha then levelled the scores with a header, unmarked just six yards out. In the meantime, LOSC had their chances, but Rémy Cabella in particular was wasteful, while Bafodé Diakité was also denied from close range.
Strasbourg stayed true to their plan and had to withstand a period of pressure from Lille in the second half but they continued to look dangerous on the break. Strasbourg thought they had taken the lead for the first time through Santos, however, his header deflected off teammate Saïdou Sow, who was in a marginally offside position.
But they did get their goal soon after. It was once again the pace of Emegha that caused problems for Lille. He combined well with Sébastien Nanasi, who collected a through ball from the Dutchman before dinking past Chevalier. Les Alsaciens had a golden chance to put the game to bed when Nanasi put the ball through for Dilane Bakwa, but his shot was well saved by the feet of Chevalier, who then denied Emegha just minutes later.
They would be made to pay for those misses. Marvin Senaya’s clumsy challenge on Tiago Santos gave the referee no choice but to point to the spot and Jonathan David, a little unconvincingly, did the rest. Neither side could find a winner and the spoils were therefore shared in what was a highly entertaining affair.
Lille player ratings
Lucas Chevalier – 7
Gabriel Gudmundsson – 3
Bafodé Diakité – 4
Aïssa Mandi – 4
Thomas Meunier – 4
Angel Gomes – 6
The Englishman was particularly influential in the opening 30 minutes while LOSC were in the ascendancy, notably assisting Zhegrova for the opener. Playing in a No.10 position, he did well to find spaces but, in a more advanced position, he couldn’t exert his usual control on the game, and as Lille’s control on the game waned, so did his impact.
Benjamin André – 4
André Gomes – 5
Rémy Cabella – 3
The Frenchman was extremely wasteful in the first half, receiving the ball in dangerous areas but then not doing anything with it.
Edon Zhegrova – 7
Jonathan David – 4
Strasbourg player ratings
Djordje Petrovic – 5
Diego Moreira – 6
Mamadou Sarr – 5
Saïdou Sow – 4
Guéla Doué – 6
Andrey Santos – 7
A standout performance from the Brazilian who scored once and could have had two. He started the move that saw him net RCSA’s first, breaking the lines before finishing the move off himself. He almost had a second but his header came off teammate Sow before finding the back of the net. Unfortunately for Strasbourg, Sow was in an offside position. However, despite his size, Santos has a knack of popping up in the right place in the box.
Ismaël Doukouré – 5
Sébastien Nanasi – 7
A brilliant start to life in France for the Swede, who now has three goals since joining Les Alsaciens. He has a tendency to drop out of games for periods but when he is involved, his technique never fails him and his decision-making is exceptional. He took his goal well and could have had an assist, had Bakwa finished his one-on-one.
Habib Diarra – 5
Dilane Bakwa – 5
Emanuel Emegha – 8
The thorn in Lille’s side. His pace in transition and his decision-making in such situations allowed RCSA to haul their way back into this match. A goal and an assist for the forward, who is becoming more consistent in his output.
