Lille claimed victory in a Northern derby thanks to a decisive goal from Olivier Giroud, who scored in the 86th minute of a Ligue 1 match against Lens. The Frenchman, now 40 years old, entered the field with 20 minutes remaining, taking advantage of a ball blocked in his area by Risser and a powerful shot from Bentaleb to make the Pierre-Mauroy stadium explode with a 1-0 in favor of Lille.
With this result the Lille club has positioned itself in second place in the provisional ranking of the French championship, with three points in the hands of Davide Ancelotti. Giroud, who has already scored three goals in 11 games this season, explained to Ligue 1+ that his longevity is based on hard work and the willingness to be ready when the coach calls him. “If you want to last, you have to do the hard work,” he said, adding that his athletic trainer told him he ran more than other players against PSG earlier in the season.
The player also asked the management not to underestimate him, despite stating that it could be the last year of his career. "It's not because I said it's probably my last year that I shouldn't be relied on. On the contrary, I will push the guys to give their all even more," he said. Giroud underlined the importance of continuing as long as the body allows it and promised to give 100% until the end of the season.
With this victory, Lille consolidates its position in the standings, while Lens will have to review their strategy to recover points in the next matches. Giroud, with his decisive contribution, continues to demonstrate that age is not an obstacle for those who maintain a high level of physical and mental preparation. The club and fans will be able to look forward with confidence, expecting that the French centre-forward will continue to lead the team towards important results in the upcoming Ligue 1 matches.