Villeneuve-d'Ascq (AFP)

Lille snatched victory at the very end of the match against Reims (2-1) and provisionally joined Paris at the top of Ligue 1 on Sunday during the 20th day.

Le Losc, who was led after a goal from Kosovar Arber Zeneli (36th), equalized by Jonathan Bamba (48th) and ended up forcing the decision in added time thanks to Jonathan David (90th + 1).

The Mastiffs thus started the return phase as they had finished the first leg in Nîmes last weekend: with a sluggish victory.

Indeed, the Northerners, who seem to be marking time in 2021 after a superb end of 2020, have suffered a lot but had the merit of hanging on to the end.

Deprived of his midfielder Renato Sanches and his top scorer Burak Yilmaz, Lille lacked ideas on the offensive plan but knew how to take advantage of the opposing errors to pocket a precious victory before an important trip to Rennes, one of its pursuers.

With 42 points, Losc joins Paris at the top of the L1, pending the Lyon match, which has 40 units on the clock before receiving Metz on Sunday evening (9:00 p.m.).

Reims, which remained on five matches without defeat (3 wins, 2 draws) fell to 15th place with 21 points, six more than the 18th and barrage, Nîmes.

The visiting club got the first big chance of the match against: Boulaye Dia served in front of the area Arber Zeneli, who stepped aside to let Nathanaël Mbuku shoot, whose attempt flirted with the left upright of Mike Maignan, who had not moved (8th).

- Decisive David -

Little by little, the Losc regained the ascendancy by confiscating the ball.

But paradoxically, it is against that the Mastiffs had several situations, such as the one badly managed by Jonathan Ikoné (19th) or another on which Yusuf Yazici poorly adjusted his center (21st).

The Champenois then took advantage of the great weakness of the Northerners on a set piece: after a poorly cleared corner, Zeneli released a center shot that Maignan, passive and hampered by Yunis Adelhamid, let pass (0-1, 36th).

Stunned, Lille tried to react and did not go far from the equalizer just before the break, but the stung head of Benjamin André was masterfully pushed back by Predrag Rajkovic (45th).

Back from the locker room, Lille finally woke up: author of a good pressing, Bamba took advantage of a slip from Moreto Cassama on a dangerous recovery from Rajkovic to grab the ball and place a curled shot (1-1 , 48th).

In the process, the Reims goalkeeper made up for it by winning his duel with David, who had eliminated Ghislain Konan before hitting on goal (50th).

His Lille counterpart also distinguished himself a few minutes later with a powerful shot from Mbuku (62nd), before blocking an attempt by Dia (69th), the co-top scorer of L1 who was not often found by his teammates Sunday.

Losc continued to push, like a shot from Yazici deflected for a corner by Rajkovic (79th) or a center shot from Domagoj Bradaric just beside (87th).

But it is on an error of the Reims goalkeeper, who did not block a powerful shot from Xeka, that David, author of a good match, emerged to offer the victory to his family (2-1, 90th + 1) .

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