Paris (AFP) – In-form Victor Osimhen’s seventh league goal of the season wasn’t enough for Lille on Sunday as they missed the chance to go third in Ligue 1 after drawing 2-2 with Nimes.
Nigeria international Osimhen, 20, who also scored in Lille’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to Chelsea midweek, struck the hosts’ leveller with 11 minutes remaining after a Renaud Ripart penalty at the end of the first half and Kevin Denkey’s neat 70th-minute finish had cancelled out Loic Remy’s 13th-minute opener.
A win for Lille would have moved them above surprise package Angers following their 4-0 hammering at the hands of league leaders Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday.
Instead Christophe Galtier’s side stay in fifth on 15 points from nine matches, but they could have easily lost against a spirited Nimes side that belied their pre-match league position of 17th.
The lively Romain Philippoteaux, who won the spot-kick that Ripart calmly slotted home, came close to scoring a wonderful individual strike when his finish clipped the outside of the post following an exciting dribble.
Reims moved into sixth, a point behind Lille after Boulaye Dia’s strike three minutes after half-time consigned former high-fliers Rennes to the latest defeat in a miserable run of form.
Level with PSG at the top of the league at the end of August, Julien Stephan’s Rennes haven’t won in the eight games in any competition since and have plummeted down to 10th.
Reims meanwhile consolidated a fine start to the season that sees them with the league’s best defensive record alongside PSG, with just four goals conceded in nine games.
Lyon look to put a dreadful recent run behind them when they travel to fierce local rivals Saint-Etienne in Claude Puel’s first game in charge of Les Verts in Sunday’s late match.
