Victor Osimhen scored a well-taken second-half penalty to cap a hugely impressive performance as Lille climbed to fourth in Ligue with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Strasbourg at the Stade de la Meinau on Saturday.
The 21-year-old beat Matz Sels with a firmly struck 80th-minute penalty which the goalie could only help into the net after defender Lionel Carole handled in the box to concede a penalty.
Lille defender Gabriel had earlier celebrated his two-year extension with Christopher Galtier’s men with a 64th-minute equaliser cancelling out Adrien Thomasson’s 12th-minute opener for the hosts.
Osimhen who also hit the bar in the first-half has now scored eleven goals in twenty one Ligue 1 appearances and fifteen in thirty-five appearances in all competitions for the Great Danes since his summer switch from Belgian club RSC Charleroi.
His goals tally puts him just five behind legendary Monaco hitman Victor Ikpeba whose 16 league goals scored in the 1997-1998 season is a record for a Nigerian player in a single Ligue 1 season.
The victory at the Stade de la Meinau comes on the back of an embarrassing defeat to 4th tier amateurs SAS Epinal that saw Lille knocked out of the French Cup in midweek.
Osimhen who started on the bench in that defeat was restored to the starting line-up as Galtier sought a swift return to winning ways.
And the Nigerian, Lille’s top scorer this season, duly delivered a rousing performance to set Lille back to winning ways.
The Great Danes who have 34 points after 22 games climbed to fourth following the win although Lyon can displace them with victory at Nice later today.
Osimhen will have another opportunity to add to reel in Ikpeba when Lille hosts Rennes at the Stade Pierre Mauroy on Tuesday.
