Lille sneak through
Lille snatched second place in Europa League Group C from opponents Gent and also qualification to the next round thanks to goals from Ludovic Obraniak, Pierre-Alain Frau and Moussa Sow.
The French side had gone in to the final fixtures of the group two points behind their Belgian opponents and facing elimination from the competition.
But a goal from Obraniak on the half-hour set them on their way before Frau and Sow wrapped up the victory which ensured their passage to the next stage, at Gent's expense, when they scored after 56 and 88 minutes respectively.
Lille could have added to their lead but hit the woodwork on more than one occasion and also found Gent goalkeeper Bojan Jorgacevic in good form.
Lille were on the attack early but Eden Hazard's first-minute corner was cleared and Frau shot from outside the penalty area but his effort was straight at Jorgacevic who caught the ball easily.
It was 10 minutes into the game before Gent had a shot on target but Tim Smolders saw his effort from 20 yards caught by Mickael Landreau.
A minute later Lille went close to breaking the deadlock when Vinicius De Melo saw his shot from 12 yards hit the post.
Lille had a series of corners and then Florent Balmont fired in a shot which was saved by Jorgacevic.
Lille took the lead on the half hour when Obraniak finished with a right-footed shot from 12 yards.
Obraniak went close to adding his and Lille's second but saw his shot from the edge of the area turned around the post by Jorgacevic.
Lille doubled their lead after 56 minutes when Frau slotted home from close range.
Obraniak took a free-kick from distance but his effort was over the bar as the home side tried to kill the tie off and confirm their passage to the next stage.
De Melo then hit the post with a shot and Sow forced a save out of Jorgacevic as Lille continued their search for a third goal.
Gent's Bernd Thijs should have done better when he met a free-kick from Elimane Coulibaly but his header was off target.
Jorgacevic again denied Lille a third goal when he saved Sow's shot and the keeper came to his side's rescue with eight minutes to go when he kept out a brilliant 20-yard shot from Obraniak.
But Lille added a third with two minutes to go when Sow finished from 12 yards after being set up by Yohan Cabaye's pass.
Ibrahima Conte's late bid for a consolation goal for Gent was thwarted when Landreau saved his long-range shot.
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Lille 3-0 AA Gent: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game as it happened.
Source: DSG
