Stade de Reims registered their first victory at the Stade Auguste Delaune in five league matches, defeating LOSC Lille 2-1 courtesy of Yunis Abdelhamid’s stunning second-half injury-time goal, to bring to an end a run of three successive H2H defeats since September 2019.
Hoping to upgrade the least-threatening goalscoring component of the top 13 clubs in the Ligue 1 (L1) standings, the visitors again struggled to showcase their potency in front of goal, in the absence of topscorer Jonathan David, only among the substitutes after failing to score in nine matches for club and country and the suspended Burak Yılmaz.
Reims equally struggled in their endeavours to demonstrate any supremacy in the opening thirty minute of the closely-contested contest, despite the backdrop of encouragement from the rapturous ‘Les Rouges et Blancs’ supporters. However, the Stade Auguste Delaune were in celebratory mood in the 33rd minute, when Marshall Munetsi was in the right place at the right time to slot the loose ball past Léo Jardim, after the Brazil international had failed to keep hold of Andrew Gravillon’s glancing header.
Looking to improve on only a solitary effort on target in the opening 45 minutes, Lille were indebted to the woodwork in the 54th minute, when Arbër Zeneli’s fearsome effort struck the underside of the crossbar. However, the visitors made the most of their let-off only three minutes later when Renato Sanches’ exquisite long-range strike flew into the right-hand corner past a helpless Predrag Rajković.
The defending French Champions were dealt a momentous blow when Yunis Abdelhamid curled an exquisite effort into the top-right hand corner in the 92nd minute past a helpless outstretched dive of Jardim.
Late drama in France avenged Reim’s 2-1 defeat at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in the reserve match earlier in the season, as ‘Les Rouges et Blancs’ remain only two points behind last season’s tally of 42 points with five matches remaining in their season. Meanwhile, Lille remain six points outside of the intensely-competitive L1 European qualification positions after a highly-disappointing defence of their L1 title this campaign.
