• With 12 goals and 5 assists in Ligue 1, Lille striker Burak Yilmaz is one of the fiercest attackers in the French league.

  • He is however a striker unknown to the general public, aged 35 and arrived free in Lille, for his first experience in one of the five largest European championships.

  • By sending before half-time a free kick anthology beyond the reach of Anthony Lopes, the "king" Burak allowed his whole team to believe again the possible victory, Sunday in Lyon.

At Parc OL,

Did an angry fist and a piercing cry from the closed door of the Parc OL change everything in the shock of Ligue 1 on Sunday night? The question deserves to be asked as the Botman-Maignan telescoping which resulted in the goal against his camp at Fonte (2-0, 34th) seemed to have definitively ruined the ambitions of the Lille leader. But if there is one player who will not let go for a moment between now and May 23, it is Burak Yilmaz. Falling from the sky, his unstoppable free kick from 25 m, in stoppage of the first period, only allowed Losc to reduce the gap (2-1, 45th). But in view of its XXL celebration, one could think that it was a

buzzer beater

in a glowing Vodafone Park.

By exhorting his entire team with his ardor, when returning to the locker room, the "king" Burak (his nickname in Turkey) obtained the desired effect: persuading his people that the psychological advantage had suddenly shifted in the Lille camp.

“Burak is one of the players who have won titles,” recalls Christophe Galtier, who manages a young workforce in Lille.

He went through the big clubs in Turkey [Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Besiktas].

We can all see it in his preparation, he is focused on competition.

He was one of the driving forces behind this game.

"

A permanent danger on the Lyon defense

And obviously not only in this match, as the 35-year-old Turkish striker, who arrived free in the skin of a second knife before this season, perfectly meets the expectations of his coach, with 12 goals and 5 assists combined in Ligue 1 , despite two months of absence due to a calf injury.

In addition to his free kick, Burak Yilmaz left a permanent danger hovering throughout the meeting on the Lyon defense, especially in view of the speed of Marcelo.

Happy to recover an almost inexplicable offering from Lucas Paqueta, the Turkish international allowed his family to fully return to the game by shifting Jonathan David (2-2, 59th), before completing the northern comeback of a crazy race concluded with a clinical dive in front of Anthony Lopes (2-3, 84th).

"These matches are for great players like him"

“Before kick-off, I told him that these kinds of matches are for great players like him,” said Lille captain José Fonte. He said "ok, you can count on me". Burak has responded and that's what we need. The Portuguese defender would have been inspired to whisper in his ear not to ignite in his powerful celebrations by removing his jersey. Because casually, the yellow card collected by the native of Antalya, who had also martyred the Netherlands of Memphis Depay with a hat-trick a month ago (4-2), could have serious consequences.

Burak Yilmaz should logically be suspended for the derby in Lens on May 7, which is probably the most delicate match to manage in the quest for this unexpected coronation in Ligue 1. A setback which obviously did not dampen the enthusiasm of all the Lille players in the locker room, who started screaming his name, banging on the tables like madmen.

Because Burak Yilmaz undoubtedly transmits a warrior soul, as rare as it is precious among the attackers, to this still inexperienced team, as when it was necessary to completely stifle OL in the second half.

"It was sure that a player like him would score"

Christophe Galtier rightly recalls that the “king” Burak forms the “backbone” of his group, alongside Mike Maignan, José Fonte and Benjamin André. This quartet still looks good, isn't it? Even the Lyonnais went there for their reaction to the man of the match. Note the beautiful tribute of Claude Fichaux, assistant to Rudi Garcia (suspended Sunday), who believed to have already met him in the European Cup with the Losc (while not in fact): “It is not after all a rabbit 15 days, he's been playing at this level for 15 years ”. What is certain is that Losc would like to enjoy another 15 years of his Benjamin Button from the Bosphorus.

Marcelo, who faced him well in the Turkish championship, in 2015-2016, confides: “He is a player that I know very well.

We gave him an opportunity and it was sure that a player like him would score ”.

To believe that in a crazy evening in Lyon, Burak Yilmaz has become in the minds of his opponents the new Juninho of Ligue 1. Long live the king!

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