Essential in recovery and creative in his passing, Nabil Bentaleb had a significant impact during the North Derby. His deflected shot allowed Giroud to break Lens in the final minutes.
Olivier Giroud saved Lille, but Nabil Bentaleb paved the way. Very active in midfield, the Algerian international was the architect of the decisive goal for LOSC against Lens (1-0) on Friday, October 30, during the ninth round of Ligue 1. A well-deserved reward for his performance in this derby.
As the Dogues struggled to break through the Lens defense, Bentaleb took charge in the closing minutes. From about 25 meters out, he attempted a powerful left-footed shot with a floating trajectory. Forced to bend, Robin Risser deflected the ball into Giroud's path, who followed up to score. Although he was not credited with an assist, the Algerian initiated the action that changed the course of the match.
Starting and present throughout the match, Bentaleb also ensured good ball circulation. He completed 59 of his 69 passes, achieving 85.5% accuracy, and provided three assists. His availability and precision supported Lille's territorial dominance while generating several dangerous chances in the final third.
His defensive contribution rounds out this performance: four interceptions, one tackle, and four duels won out of five, including two aerial duels. He also succeeded in his only dribbling attempt. With this victory, Lille sits second with 18 points, two points behind PSG, after nine rounds.
DZfoot
