Lille's chances far outstripped usual, and Giroud's late goal settled it
Lille1 – 0Lens 
Lille beat Lens 1-0 at home with the ball and the better chances, and Olivier Giroud's late goal was the only thing that separated them.
Olivier Giroud scored the only goal of Lille's 1-0 win over Lens in the 86th minute. By then the match had gone the way the numbers suggested it would, with Lille holding most of the ball and most of the chances.
Lille kept 63% of the ball at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, well above the 49.3% they average at home this season. Lens were pushed into the other side of the contest, with 37% possession against the 50.8% they usually keep away from home. Ball share alone can flatter a side, so the more telling figures concern the chances.
Ball possession
Expected goals, or xG, is a way of scoring how good a chance was, where a figure of 1.0 would mean a near certain goal. Lille created 1.84 across the match, far above the 1.13 they usually manage at home, and they took 15 shots against an average of 10.5, eleven of them from inside the box. Lens managed 0.25, against the 1.45 they usually make on their travels, and that gap is the heart of the night.
Lille did not turn that edge into a bigger margin. Their chances were worth close to two goals and they scored one, with seven of their 15 efforts on target. Lens goalkeeper R. Risser made six saves and was rated 8, the highest mark on either side, and he kept his team in the match for as long as he was standing.
Lens scored nothing, which is far from their usual pattern. Away from home they average two goals a match, and the league as a whole averages 3.1 goals a game, so a single goal in this one sits well below both. Bentaleb, rated 7.2 for Lille, made three key passes and won four duels, a midfield shift rather than a finishing one.
Lille were the side with the more threatening attack, and their home form backs that up. They have four wins, three draws and one defeat from eight home matches and sit third in the table with 15 points. Lens are seventh in the table for away matches with 13 points, and this result leaves them still searching for a first away goal of the afternoon.
R. Risser6 saves
O. Giroud1 goal
N. Bentaleb3 chances created
M. Goffi1 chance created