Lille’s poor start to 2026 saw them slip out of Ligue 1’s top four, but an eight-game unbeaten run at home against Strasbourg will have given them hope of bouncing back here.
The opening 25 minutes passed by without much incident, with only an Olivier Giroud overhead kick that went well wide to write home about. However, within the space of 120 seconds, the visitors took control of the encounter with two quickfire goals.
First, Joaquin Panichelli controlled a Guela Doue cross before turning to fire into the bottom corner, prior to Julio Enciso finishing off a quick Strasbourg move by lifting over the approaching Berke Özer.
That double salvo sparked the game into life, and Romain Perraud will have been disappointed not to hit the target when the ball was fizzed to him in the box, while Enciso should have done better than volleying over after getting on the end of Ben Chilwell’s cross.
Ozer then intervened to keep out Diego Moreira, and Mike Penders did the same at the other end as he denied Ayyoub Bouaddi at full stretch. Remarkably, there was still time for a Panichelli header to hit the crossbar before Chancel Mbemba drew another fine stop from Penders.
In the second period, the onus was on Les Dogues to take the game to their opponents – and that they did, with Ethan Mbappe having a couple of early sighters, although he was unable to take a leaf out of his iconic brother’s book and work Penders.
Then, Giroud’s flick at the near post did require an intervention from the Belgian shot-stopper, but he was equal to the challenge.
Ngal’ayel Mukau was next to waste a good opportunity, hammering over the crossbar when unmarked 10 yards from goal as Lille cranked up the pressure.
Yet, just as it seemed the visitors were in difficulty, they extended their advantage at the other end when Moreira’s cross-cum-shot was chested over the line by Martial Godo.
Godo then doubled his tally as he tapped home Enciso’s cross, with Lille all at sea in front of their own supporters, but a clean sheet was to go begging at the death, due to Matias Fernandez-Pardo’s injury-time strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Strasbourg may be a youthful outfit, but on this evidence, Liam Rosenior’s departure to Chelsea does not appear to have taken Le Racing out of their stride.
With Gary O’Neil now having won all three of his games in charge, they sit seventh tonight and will go into the final week of January just two points adrift of fifth-placed Lille.
Meanwhile, Bruno Genesio’s men themselves are now four points adrift of Olympique Lyonnais in fourth and have failed to score in each of their last three Ligue 1 matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Martial Godo (Strasbourg)