Lille stand on the brink of their first domestic double since the 1945-46 season after a 1-0 home victory over Sochaux last night moved them six points clear of second-place Marseille with just two games remaining in Ligue 1. With a superior goal difference of 8 over their nearest rivals, the title is now within touching distance and it would take a monumental collapse now for them to be denied.
Following hot on the heels of last weekend’s triumph over PSG in the French Cup Final, it caps a memorable last few days for Rudi Garcia’s side. Next up is a tricky away trip to -ironically- PSG this coming Saturday, where a draw will be enough to take the title.
Both sides came into last night’s game in good unbeaten form; Lille with six wins and two draws in their last eight, Sochaux with four wins and two draws in the previous six matches, but, as expected, it was the hosts who prevailed, with Gervinho’s 53rd minute winner enough to seal victory. It was no more that Lille deserved; they had 17 Shots to Sochaux’s 6, with 10 On Target compared to the visitor’s 1. Here’s the lowdown on last night’s game:
Line Up News
Lille made just one change from the cup-winning team, with Ludovic Obraniak -perhaps as a result of his late winner on Saturday evening- getting the nod ahead of Idrissa Gana Gueye in midfield.
They made one personnel change from their previous game, a 3-0 home win over Monaco; Carlao moved from centre-back to central midfield, with Mathieu Peybernes coming into the back-four as Vincent Nogueira dropped to the bench.
Player Positions
With four players positioned in the Sochaux final third when in possession, it’s little wonder Lille had so many shots. The full-backs pushed on, particularly Debuchy on the right, Cabaye and Mavuba sat in the middle. On the left of midfield, Obrovniak was much more attacking, bombing forward to support a number of attacks. Despite being stationed out wide, Gervinho (27) drifted inside time and again and ended up as the furthest forward of any Lille player when with the ball.
Sochaux rarely threatened in the final third; their main problem was how deep Marvin Martin had to drop to get the ball. The playmaker has 18 Assists to his name this season but was ineffectual last night, with little movement or penetration ahead of him to help turn the game in the visitors’ favour.
Shot Directions
40% of Lille’s 17 Shots came from the right, with Gervinho having 5 and Yohan Cabaye 3. 38% came from the left, with the likes of Eden Hazard and Obraniak threatening from the opposite flank. Given that only 21% came through the middle, it’s clear Moussa Sow -with 4- drifted wide on occasions to chance his luck.
As mentioned, Sochaux only had 6 Shots all game. Their 4-1-2-1-2 shape means the forwards are often forced wide, with the middle so narrow. As a result, 49% of their shots (which equates to 3 attempts) came from the right, 35% (two attempts) from the left and 17% (just the one) from the middle.
Pass Types
Possession was fairly even, with Sochaux just shading it 51% to 49%. The stats show an even mix right across the board: the visitors made 510 Passes to Lille’s 480, with 16 Crosses to 14. Lille played less Long Balls (57 compared to Sochaux’s 71) with Through Balls virtually even, 6 to 5 in the home side’s favour. Sochaux also made more Short Passes, 420 to 400, but failed to trouble the home side much throughout the match.
Star Player Comparison
Gervinho was the main threat throughout the match; he had 5 Shots (most of any player), and hit the woodwork twice, as well as grabbing the match-winning goal. He didn’t see too much of the ball- just 49 Touches and 27 Passes -with 1 Key Pass- for a 70% Accuracy. He helped out defensively, too, with 3 Successful Tackles bettered by only one centre-half last night. A rating of 7.88 saw the Ivorian awarded the Man of the Match for his display.
Sochaux left-back Boukary Dramé had a fantastic game and was unlucky to finish on the losing side. He had more Touches than anyone (106), made the second-highest number of Passes (69) with a 88% Accuracy. He played 6 Long Balls, 4 Accurate and had 3 Successful Dribbles for the visitors. Defensively, Dramé made most Tackles (5), 2 Interceptions, 8 Clearances, 1 Shot Blocked and won 3 Aerial Duels- a real all-action performance with a rating of 7.74.
