On the second day of the French Ligue 1 championship, LOSC seized the opportunity to play its inaugural match in its new stadium, facing off against Nancy. However, the much-anticipated debut ended in a draw.
Coincidentally, just as it happened around thirty years ago during the inauguration of their previous stadium, Lille found Nancy as their guest for the opening match. The vast majority of the 50,157 spectators at the Grand Stade Lille Métropole anticipated celebrating the inauguration with a victory. Despite initially trailing, the Mastiffs’ supporters had to settle for a draw.
Under the guidance of coach Rudi Garcia, Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou embarked on a sprint from the central circle in the 23rd minute. However, the former Chelsea player lacked the necessary composure in the final moments. Despite dominating the game, Lille struggled to breach the Lorraine defense. In the 35th minute, Franco-Comorian Djamel Bakar silenced the stadium with a powerful shot from 25 meters, finding the back of the Lille net.
However, in his second official appearance for LOSC, the dynamic Ivorian international leveled the score. Kalou scored a header from Marvin Martin’s cross in the 43rd minute, marking his first goal in Ligue 1 for Lille and etching his name in the club’s history as the first player to score in the new stadium.
This goal stood as the lone source of satisfaction for Lille in the match. The second half, in contrast, was uneventful, with the only notable incident being the 79th-minute expulsion of Lorraine player Benjamin Moukandjo.
