Olivier Giroud struck late to secure a 1-0 victory for Lille over Lens at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, extending their impressive home record against their rivals and moving Les Dogues up to second place in the Ligue 1 standings.

Lille entered the encounter looking to get their season back on track after going four consecutive matches without a victory in all competitions. However, it was Lens who threatened first, with Thorgan Hazard finding himself in an early scoring position, only to direct his effort straight at Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozer.

The hosts responded quickly, as Ethan Mbappe came close to breaking the deadlock with a curling attempt from the edge of the penalty area, but his effort narrowly missed the far post.

Davide Ancelotti’s side continued to apply pressure in search of an opening goal. Soriba Diaoune tested Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser with a close-range header, forcing an impressive save from the visiting shot-stopper.

Diaoune went even closer moments later when a corner fell invitingly to him on the edge of the box, but his powerful effort crashed against the crossbar, leaving Lille frustrated.

Lens also showed attacking intent as the first half progressed, with Saud Abdulhamid testing Ozer at his near post. However, the Lille goalkeeper reacted well, using his legs to keep the attempt out and ensure the teams went into the interval level at 0-0.

Lille started the second half with renewed attacking intent, creating an early opportunity through a quickly taken free-kick from Nabil Bentaleb. His delivery released Ethan Mbappe, but the forward’s attempt was denied by an alert Robin Risser.

Lens nearly punished the hosts on the counter-attack shortly afterwards. Following a Lille corner, Florian Thauvin raced forward with space ahead of him, but a poor touch allowed Berke Ozer to rush off his line and clear the danger.

The home side remained determined to find the breakthrough, with Mbappe once again playing an important role in their attacking moves. His pass down the right flank picked out Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, whose first-time volley from inside the penalty area was brilliantly stopped by Risser.

Lille continued to push forward, but another promising opportunity disappeared when Lens defender Kyllian Antonio intervened to prevent Olivier Giroud from making a clean connection with Calvin Verdonk’s delivery into the box.

Just when it appeared that Lille would have to settle for a draw, the hosts finally found the decisive goal. Nabil Bentaleb unleashed a powerful long-range effort that Risser could only push into Giroud’s path. The experienced striker reacted quickly, sending a bouncing finish past the goalkeeper to secure the winner.

Giroud’s decisive contribution marked his second consecutive Ligue 1 match with a goal, while Lille claimed all three points in dramatic fashion.

Giroud’s decisive goal earned Lille just their third victory in their last eight Ligue 1 home fixtures, keeping them within touching distance of league leaders PSG. Meanwhile, Lens saw their three-match winning streak in the league come to an end, leaving them five points behind Lille in the standings.