Before the match kicked off, we were expecting a bit of a dull one. Nancy, after all, aren’t exactly known for their expansive attitude towards football, and anyone taking on Lille without some measure of defensiveness to them is simply asking to be ripped apart. So we got an even-more defensive Nancy than usual, and they spent all but about two minutes soaking up pressure in their end.
AS Nancy Vs. Lille: Eden Hazard Strike Makes It 1-0 At Halftime
The statistics tell the story. 69% possession to the visitors. Five shots to three. Three shots on goal to none. And yet, for all of their dominance, Lille hadn’t scored, or gotten particularly near scoring, thanks to the hosts’ stubborn defence. It looked as though we’d be entering the break with both sides locked at 0-0. However, as regular time was winding down, Landy N’Guemo took out Tulio de Melo about 25 yards out, and Eden Hazard surprised everyone by sending a curling effort into Damien Gregorini’s side netting. The goalkeeper was taken by surprise, but there really wasn’t much he could do about it anyway - it was a very well taken goal.
Anyway, Lille are now leading 1-0 at halftime, and Nancy will have to come out of their shell if they want a result here, which will just leave them massively exposed to the league leaders’ front line. It’s not looking good for the hosts.
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