Lille`s Bentaleb scores on return from cardiac arrest
2025-02-18
PARIS: Nabil Bentaleb could not have scripted his comeback any better after the Lille midfielder marked his return to the side following a heart attack last year with a goal in Sunday`s 2-0 win at Stade Rennais.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United player suffered a cardiac arrest on June 18 and there were doubts about the 30-yearold`s future in the game.However, he was given the green light to return to competitive footballonWednesday when the French Football Federation (FFF) cleared him to play after a medical commission met to assess his condition.
The Algeria international poked home a rebound to score the opener in the 80th minute four minutes after coming off the bench and ran to the Lille bench to celebrate hisfirst Ligue 1 goal for his hometown club with team-mates and coaching staff.
`It`s worthy of a film,` Lille coach Bruno Genesio told reporters. `He deserved it ...
it`s an incredible, wonderful story. Nabil`s goal put us on cloud nine, it`s hard to describe... that will remain engraved in the history of the club, of this season. And in Nabil`s mind, of course.
Chuba Akpom slid home asecond six minutes later as Lille reclaimed fifth place that Olympique Lyonnais had briefly grabbed earlier in the day by thrashing last-placed Montpellier.
Nice won 3-1 at struggling Le Havre to climb back into the top three.
Nice seized control in Le Havre through a 16th minute goal from Gaetan Laborde and an own-goal from Etienne Youte Kinkoue twominutes later.
Yassine Kechta replied for the hosts after 28 minutes.
Nice fullback Melvin Bard received his second yellow card in the final minute, but substitute Sofiane Diop sealed the win for the visitors with a goal deep into added time.
Nice regained the final guaranteed Champions League slot on goal difference from AS Monaco, who had hammered Nantes 7-1 on Saturday.Lyon took revenge for a home defeat earlier in the season with a 4-1 win at Montpellier.
Georges Mikautadze gave the visitors a third-minute lead. Tanguy Coulibaly levelled before the break. Lyon dominated the second half and struck through Ernest Nuamah, Corentin Tolisso and Alexandre Lacazette, with his 15th career goal against Montpellier.Strasbourg rose to seventh as they won 2-0 at Lens. The hosts were reduced to 10 men when fullback Deiver Machado was sent off in the 72nd minute. The visitors exploited their advantage with an 81st minute goal by Dilane Bakwa and a second, in the 96th minute, by Emmanuel Emegha.
Farid El Melali scored the only goal as Angers won 1-0 at Reims.-Agencies