PLAYER RATINGS | Strasbourg 2-0 Lille: Emanuel Emegha’s brace downs Les Dogues | OneFootball

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 12, 09/11/2025

With competing ambitions for Europe at stake, RC Strasbourg Alsace’s clash with Lille OSC would be nervy and tense. A match separated by mistakes more than brilliance, as Emanuel Emegha put Les Dogue down with a returning brace.

The Match

There was a rough and tumble edge to the first half. Lille dominated the ball with 58% possession, but struggled to do much with it when they reached the final third. Rushed passes and hopeful crosses were easy enough for Strasbourg to defend. 

Lille would have a couple of chances to threaten Mike Penders’ goal. Nathan Ngoy came the closest in the first half. His header off a corner was pushed onto the post by Penders. Olivier Giroud would snatch at a shot from outside the box. There was a whip to it, caused by a deflection off Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, but it would go high over the crossbar for a goal kick. 

Emanuel Emegha, on his first start since returning from injury, had a frustrating half where Aïssa Mandi snuffed out his plans. However, the striker would get the rub of the green in the 33rd minute. Diego Moreira’s cross was pushed past the Lille goalkeeper Berke Özer by Nathan Ngoy’s header and into the path of Emegha, who, with a poacher’s finish, put the ball into the empty net with his thigh. 

The second half saw Strasbourg take better care of the ball as they tried to take some of the sting out of this game, although their predilection to playing out from the back did see some risky passes that Lille were unable to punish. 

Instead, it was Lille who would be punished when Giroud, back defending, tried to pass back to his keeper. His backpass was poorly weighted and barely travelled half the distance it needed to reach Özer, and Emegha was there to pounce. He slipped into the box and slid his shot past the goalkeeper to double the lead. 

Tensions bubbled and boiled throughout the match, and Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior talked himself into the book after disputing the referee’s decision to award Lille a throw-in… he then kept talking and saw the decision upgraded to a red. Strasbourg controlled the flow of the game; they earned small fouls that broke up Lille’s rhythm, not that Les Dogues had found their stride. 

Tensions would finally boil over in injury time when the Lille substitute Calvin Verdonk was sent off for a cynical kick at Martial Godo. It would be the final nail in the coffin for a match that was far closer than the final score.

Strasbourg Player Ratings

Mike Penders, 6

Ben Chilwell, 6

Mamadou Sarr, 7

Lucas Høgsberg, 7

The lasting image of the young centre-back was the way he would turn to the crowd after winning a goal-kick and roar at them. No matter the small battle, he celebrated each marginal gain as if it were a match-winning goal. This was a warrior’s performance that encapsulated the spirit and fight that allowed Strasbourg to keep Lille at arm’s length for the majority of the match. 

Diego Moreira, 6

Replaced by Andrew Omobamidele in the 89th minute. 

Valentín Barco, 6

Abdoul Ouattara, 5

Replaced by Martial Godo in the 89th minute. 

Guela Doué, 5

Julio Enciso, 5

Replaced by Samir El Mourabet in the 76th minute. 

Joaquín Panichelli, 4

A quiet evening for the striker as he began to forge a partnership with the returning captain. He’s flourished in Emegha’s absence, becoming the Ligue 1 top scorer, and it was perhaps noticeable that Strasbourg’s final ball looked more for Emegha than for him. Still, it’s early days and the threat of both he and Emegha will be something Strasbourg fans will savour. Replaced by Mathis Amougou in injury time. 

Emanuel Emegha, 7

Two goals on his first start since returning from injury will be great news for club and player. There were certainly moments of rust in this match, particularly in his first-half duels with Mandi. However, he showed a side of his game that can often be forgotten about… he’s an excellent poacher. This was a match of few chances, and Emegha took his two best opportunities with glee. Replaced by Rabby Nzingoula in the 75th minute. 

Lille Player Ratings

Berke Özer, 4

Romain Perraud, 5

Replaced by Calvin Verdonk in the 85th minute. 

Aïssa Mandi, 6

Had a really good game in the first half and was, by and large, Lille’s best performer alongside Benjamin André. He kept Emegha quiet in the first half, and it was notable that the striker flourished in rapid transitions brought about by unforced errors from Les Dogues rather than when he was tasked with finding a way past Mandi. 

Nathan Ngoy, 4

Thomas Meunier, 5

Ayyoub Bouaddi, 4

Replaced by Ngal’ayel Mukau in the 85th minute. 

Benjamin André, 6

Matias Fernandez-Pardo, 4

Replaced by Hamza Igamane in the 68th minute. 

Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, 4

A difficult night for the engine to this Lille attack. When Haraldsson plays well, the team purrs, and when he struggles, they struggle. He couldn’t find the killer pass and often seemed to be a passenger to attacks. He gave away the ball for the first goal, close to his box, and Strasbourg capitalised on the mistake. 

Félix Correia, 4

Replaced by Osame Sahraoui in the 76th minute. 

Olivier Giroud, 3

After a brilliant start to life back in France, the former France international has been on a quiet run. His last goal came in August during the defeat of AS Monaco. He only had one notable chance in the match and was completely at fault for the second goal. His place as a starter in the league may soon come into question. Replaced by Marius Broholm in the 78th minute. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland