Anderlecht
|
11 |
Boussoufa
|
|
|
14 |
Goor
|
On The Bench
Lille
|
|
7 |
Cabaye
*
|
On The Bench
Nicolas Pareja headed Anderlecht in front in the closing minutes of the first half.
However, Lille rallied strongly in the second period and deserved an equaliser which came when substitute Nicolas Fauvergue found the net with 10 minutes to play.
There was not much action in the early stages of the match but, after a speculative attempt by Peter Odemwingie of Lille from distance, it was the hosts who carved out the first really close shave.
It was Mohamed Tchite who escaped the attentions of the Lille defence but his powerful angled shot was saved by Tony Sylva.
Bart Goor then had a shot blocked by Lille defender Abdulkader Keita before Lille had a shooting opportunity when they won a free-kick in a dangerous position. However, Michel Bastos was wayward in his finishing.
Senegal international Sylva was the busier of the two goalkeepers and he had to make saves in quick succession to deny first Mbark Boussoufa and next Ahmed Hassan.
Lille's Odemwingie was foiled from long range by Daniel Zitka.
Anderlecht were having the better of it, however, and Tchite was not far off the mark with a diving header.
The goal their play deserved came just four minutes before the interval.
Argentinian Pareja got ahead of his marker to plant a header in the centre of the goal following Boussoufa's corner from the right.
Anderlecht almost doubled their lead in the last minute of the first period when Tchite escaped down the left but could only find the side netting.
It was the interval and Anderlecht were full value for their lead against a Lille team who must play all their matches on hostile territory this season - their home games will be played at the home stadium of their local rivals Lens.
They started the second half brightly as well and Tchite did well to get in a shot which was narrowly wide of the mark.
The irrepressible striker then saw his header loop high and wide of the Lille goal as the home team continued to press.
Anderlecht had a glorious chance to double their lead when Sylva could only palm away a Hassan cross and Boussoufa hacked the rebound wide.
Lille coach Claude Puel almost saw one of his substitutions come off when Fauvergue saw his shot hit the woodwork - minutes earlier Jean Makoun had gone close with a strike from distance for Les Dogues.
Lille were producing their best form of the night and next it was the turn of Keita to strike the woodwork with a right-footed shot from 30 yards.
Tchite looked to have spurned a great chance to seal victory for Anderlecht but Scottish referee Stuart Dougal spared his blushes by acknowledging an offside flag.
Within seconds Lille had equalised. Fauvergue ghosted in ahead of his marker to deflect a left-wing cross by Mathieu Bodmer in off the far post to level the scores.
Anderlecht substitute Roland Juhasz forced a save from Sylva in the closing minutes. However, at the other end Souleymane Youla should have done better with a lob that drifted just over.
