Home SPORTS Ligue 1: Lille Misses Top Four Spot Despite Late Win Over Reims

Ligue 1: Lille Misses Top Four Spot Despite Late Win Over Reims

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Lille secures a 2-1 win over Reims with Chuba Akpom's late penalty, but misses out on a top-four finish in Ligue 1. Reims avoids relegation playoff.



Lille secured a 2-1 win over Reims with Chuba Akpom scoring a late penalty, but it wasn't enough to secure a top-four finish in Ligue 1. Reims avoided relegation play-offs thanks to favorable results elsewhere, despite losing the match.


The match was high-stakes for both teams, with Lille pushing for a Champions League spot and Reims fighting to avoid the bottom three. In the end, Reims managed to stay safe, while Lille fell just short of their goal.




Lille dominated the early stages, given their higher league position, but struggled with their finishing. Despite several chances, they only managed one shot on target in the first 30 minutes - Thomas Meunier's effort, which was saved comfortably by Yehvann Diouf.


Other Lille players, including Remy Cabella and Matias Fernandez-Pardo, had shots either go wide or get blocked, with Fernandez-Pardo even attempting an ambitious 30-yard shot after Diouf's mistake.


Reims, led by Samba Diawara, started the match cautiously, with their only notable chance coming from Amadou Koné's shot that was easily saved. Shortly after, Lille's Hákon Haraldsson had a promising opportunity, but his 22-yard strike was palmed away.


As the game progressed, Bruno Genesio's Lille team began to dominate, and they deservedly took the lead just before halftime with an impressive finish from Cabella.


Cabella scored with a stunning back-heeled volley into the bottom corner from a tight angle, after Meunier's deflected strike looped up to him. This impressive goal gave Lille the lead just before halftime.


However, Reims quickly equalized with an even more impressive goal. Sergio Akieme fired home a thunderous volley that rattled the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line, calming the visitors' nerves as they faced a potential relegation battle.


After going behind, Lille pushed hard for an equalizer. Thomas Meunier had a promising strike that was well saved, but Reims held firm defensively, showing more solidity than expected from a team that had struggled on the road.


As the match wore on, Lille's pressure paid off. Despite Alexsandro hitting a header over, they were awarded a penalty after Joseph Okumu fouled Chuba Akpom. Akpom converted the spot kick, sending goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf the wrong way to give Lille the lead.


Lille secured fifth place in Ligue 1 with 57 points from 33 matches, earning them a spot in the UEFA Europa League next season. This marks the third successive season that Les Dogues have qualified for European competition.


Reims finished 14th in the table with 33 points, despite John Patrick's desperate header going wide in injury time. Their final position was influenced by Le Havre's failure to beat Strasbourg, ultimately securing their Ligue 1 status.



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