Nearly there: Will Lille be able to cross final hurdle and clinch title?
Arguably, Lille have been this season’s surprise package. In a league has been mocked for becoming a one-horse affair – quite similar to the Bundesliga – Lille, along with Lyon, and Monaco, thanks to their late resurgence, have made things a lot more interesting this season. Even the most ardent of PSG supporters will have to admit that Les Parisiens do need to be challenged domestically; otherwise, they will not be up to snuff on the continent. But it’s safe to say that Lille will have more than quite a few additional fans cheering them on this weekend as they prepare to face Angers on matchday 38.
Christophe Galtier’s side are just 90 minutes away from knocking PSG off their title perch, and it’s been quite fascinating to watch. They’ll be taking on an Angers side who have nothing but pride to play for at the moment, and will be saying au revoir to their long-serving manager Stephane Moulin at the end of this term. Les Scoistes would naturally hope to give Moulin, who’s been in charge for a decade, a nice sending off, but that’ll be much easier said than done. Angers come into this game in terrible form, with just one win out of their last five and will be welcoming a team who know that they can’t afford to lose in their final game of the 2020/2021 season.
With PSG lurking behind in one of the closest title races fans have seen in a long time, Lille do need to avoid a loss here. If they do lose, and PSG lose, Les Dogues are home free. However, if they lose and PSG beat Brest, they will suffer what would be an absolutely heartbreaking defeat. A draw would take them to 81 points, and again, if PSG win, they’ll lose the title by one point. So, it’s safe to say that Lille will be gunning for all three points here. Plus, there’s the added incentive of revenge: Angers beat them 2-1 in the reverse fixture and there is no way that Galtier’s men will want to have a repeat, not when they can literally see the Ligue 1 title in their hands after a highly successful campaign.
At one point, it was Lyon that were leading the way, and it was Les Gones that everyone were thinking just may actually pip PSG to the title. However, Rudi Garcia’s men stumbled and were unable to recover. Then Monaco suddenly burst onto the scene as Niko Kovac’s men picked up some form and started roaring up the table, but it wasn’t enough to help Les Rouges-et-Blancs overcome some earlier seasonal issues and points dropped at the start of the campaign.
Lille, meanwhile, were quietly going about their business. The lowest position Les Dogues have ever occupied in the table was eighth spot, and that was at the start of this season on matchday one. With 22 goals conceded, they also boast the meanest defense in the league, despite their attack, which has netted 62 times being significantly outscored by Monaco (76), PSG (84), and Lyon (79). Interestingly, their two top goalscorers are a wily veteran, 35-year-old Turkish international Burak Yilmaz, who has 15, and a young Canadian starlet, 21-year-old Jonathan David, who’s grabbed 12. David notably scored what could be the goal that just may have earned Lille the title during a 1-0 win over PSG in April; that strike in that crunch tie marked Lille’s first away win over Les Parisiens since 1996.
David’s goal was even more interesting considering that, at 21, he wasn’t even born yet the last time Lille beat PSG on the road, but there’s no doubt that his historic effort will mean quite a bit to the rising star. And it will mean even more if it ultimately plays a bigger role in ensuring that Les Dogues capture the biggest prize in French domestic football: the league crown.
So, there we have it: 90 minutes separate Lille from the team’s first Ligue 1 title in a decade.
Will Les Dogues be able to jump over that final hurdle to clinch the coveted prize?
