PARIS — Edon Zhegrova showcased his impressive skills by scoring the decisive goal in Lille’s 1-0 victory over Rennes in the French league on Sunday. This win enabled Lille to maintain their position just one point behind Marseille, who sits in third place.
The Kosovo winger played a crucial role in the only goal of the match, which occurred in the 45th minute. Zhegrova initiated a dynamic play with his signature swift run down the right side, linking up with Rémy Cabella and striker Jonathan David before striking the ball past seasoned goalkeeper Steve Mandanda with his left foot. This goal marked Zhegrova’s fourth in the league this season, putting him on track to surpass his tally of six from the previous campaign.
The 25-year-old has demonstrated similar attacking prowess earlier this month when Lille faced Juventus in the Champions League, where he provided a brilliant assist that led to David’s goal. Additionally, he had another opportunity to set up David during the match against Rennes in the 57th minute. However, this effort was disallowed due to a tight offside call after he had once again sprinted down the right flank.
Towards the end of the match, Zhegrova appeared to be in discomfort, grasping his left groin as he exited the field, receiving applause from the home supporters.
Rennes finds themselves struggling, remaining on 11 points and hovering just above the relegation zone after completing 12 rounds of league matches. The team recently appointed Jorge Sampaoli as head coach following the dismissal of Julien Stéphan.
Sampaoli, known for his fiery temperament in the sport, displayed his frustration when Rennes defender Mikayil Faye was required to change his socks before stepping on to replace the injured Alidu Seidu early in the match. With the coach shouting at him, Faye was compelled to sit on the sidelines to don the appropriate socks before continuing.
In other matches scheduled for Sunday, Nice aimed to climb to fifth place with a home victory against Strasbourg, while Auxerre competed against Angers, and Le Havre played Nantes. Earlier in the week, PSG secured a 3-0 victory against Toulouse on Friday and Marseille triumphed 3-1 over Lens on Saturday.