A second-half strike from Yassine Benzia has given Lille a 1-0 victory over Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 this evening.
The hosts made a positive start to the match, as Djibril Sidibe tested Saint-Etienne keeper Stephane Ruffier with a header before the French shot-stopper kept out an Eric Bautheac effort moments later.
Les Verts improved as the half went on - Valentin Eysseric pounced onto a loose ball only to fire over the bar, while the midfielder struck the crossbar with a free kick on the stroke of half time.
After the break the hosts regained control of proceedings, with Saint-Etienne requiring a strong Ruffier punch to deny Benzia from a well-struck free kick.
Lille broke the deadlock on 61 minutes, when Benzia latched on to a long pass from Rio Mavuba before hitting a powerful strike beyond the reach of Ruffier.
The former Lyon striker came close to a second goal moments later, as Sebastien Corchia picked out the 21-year-old from the right only for Ruffier to deny Benzia's close-range effort.
The visitors were unable to trouble their opponents for the remainder of the match, as Lille secured three crucial points to stay above Toulouse in the relegation zone.
Stephen Topping
