Lille dominated large swaths of the match, but a familiar lack of finishing allowed a rather disjointed Montpellier team to see their way back into the match. Nevertheless, it was an eighty-fourth minute goal from the reinvigorated Renato Sanches that handed the hosts a much deserved victory.   Tactical analysis and match report by KT Stockwell. […]

Neither side was able to establish convincing offensive spells and the match devolved into physical midfield battles and moments of individual flair going forward. The lack of potent ball possession meant that the most dangerous chances came in transition and in the end it was Lille who were able to capitalize – Jonathan Ikoné notching […]

Against an already eliminated Lille, Ajax had to win to secure their positions as leader of group H. Despite not having their best game in the season, the Dutch were efficient at both ends of the field. Lille created a few good chances, without converting.  Tactical analysis and match report by Simon Piotr.  Already eliminated […]

Despite Neymar’s return to competition after a lengthy injury, it was actually the Argentine forward duo Icardi and Di María that made the difference for PSG against Lille.  Tactical analysis and match report by Simon Piotr. After the international break and right before mid-week Champions League action, this Friday night matchup was the biggest game […]

From an offensive point of view, this was a very poor game. Because of better finishing, Marseille manufactured two goals in the second half, forcing a reaction from Lille, which came in the form of a single goal and a late offensive run that was enough for a result. Tactical analysis and match report by […]

This match was all about marginal gains. Both Stade Rennais and Lille OSC set up in 4-4-2 formations that were largely enough to dim each other’s attacking threats. Small tactical adjustments were thus key to improving attacking successes, since cracks gradually started to seep through.  Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M. Julian Stéphan’s […]

Lyon enjoyed over sixty percent of possession, yet Lille succeeded in making this a game of few chances. Goals from rare mistakes and circumstantial deflections led to a high scoring draw. Tactical analysis and match report by Siddarth Ramsundar. A fair criticism of Ligue 1 as a competition is that it misses a stable of […]

Sunday’s match saw a battle between the two most attack minded clubs in Ligue 1, with attacking cores which are capable of scoring goals in buckets. What unfolded certainly lived up to its billing, as Lille produced a shock result and made PSG put their title celebrations on hold, after coming up with a scintillating […]

It could be argued that Lille were the better team for substantial parts of the match with their fluid attacking game. This was especially true in the first half, where they almost certainly should have gone ahead. As the game approached its end, it seemed as if the teams would end up goalless despite chances […]

Lille showed some neat – though not especially dangerous – possession play throughout the match and eventually they got the lead through a Nicolas Pépé penalty, just before half-time. The second half was disrupted by both crowd trouble and a red card for Florian Thauvin. After those two incidents, the game became disjointed, and Lille […]