Ligue 1: Lille Edge Angers 1-0, Move into Top 5

Giroud's penalty helps lille Beat Angers

Lille beat Angers 1-0, Olivier Giroud scores penalty to lift Les Dogues into top 5 in Ligue 1.

Clear-cut chances were scarce from there, with Lille happy to sit on their lead and Angers unable to break them down...

Lille got their first league win of 2026, beating Angers 1-0 at Stade Raymond-Kopa. Olivier Giroud scored a late penalty, his first league goal since November.

Lille settled quickly and nearly scored in the sixth minute when Gaetan Perrin set up Félix Correia in the box, but the Portuguese winger hit it wide.

The win keeps Lille in the Champions League qualification mix. Angers, meanwhile, lost their first home game after two wins.

Lille finally broke through late in the first half when they were awarded a penalty after Jordan Lefort fouled Tiago Santos. Olivier Giroud took the spot-kick and fired it coolly into the bottom-right corner, scoring his first league goal since November.

Lille were on the front foot from the restart, looking to build on their lead. They went close with just under an hour played, with Giroud being picked out by Calvin Verdonk's pinpoint cross, but Koffi made a phenomenal save to keep it out of the bottom corner.

Elle fait du bien celle-là 👏

avec @eToroFr #SCOLOSC pic.twitter.com/vWPywDfDyL

— LOSC (@losclive) February 22, 2026

Clear-cut chances were scarce from there, with Lille happy to sit on their lead and Angers unable to break them down. Lille hit the bar late on through Santos, but they held on to win. The win lifts them back into Ligue 1's top-five and gives them momentum ahead of their UEFA Europa League game against Red Star Belgrade.

Angers remain mid-table, but suffer a second straight defeat without scoring.