Metz 0-0 Lille ratings, Mboula stands firm to silence Giroud | OneFootball

Metz and Lille played out a 0-0 that suited neither side, with Michel Mboula’s authority at centre-back keeping Olivier Giroud largely quiet.

On only his fifth start in six outings, the Gabon international married crisp interventions with calm distribution. According to L'Équipe, it was a genuinely impressive display.

Romain Perraud patrolled the left and delivered well, including for Giroud on 51 minutes. He shut down Metz attacks, winning all his duels, underlining Lille’s blunt edge.

Benjamin Stambouli impressed with positioning and tidy technique under Benoît Tavenot after being overlooked by Stéphane Le Mignan. He faded and was replaced by Munongo on 70 minutes.

Giroud managed 15 touches and six completed passes in 70 minutes. He linked play and had three sights of goal, an overhead, a header that Mboula beat him to, then a right-foot shot wide.

Hakon Haraldsson dropped deep but lacked end product, missing from a Tiago Santos cross and later shooting narrowly wide, before departing for Gaëtan Perrin, who almost nicked it in stoppage time.

Debutant Noah Edjouma toiled on the right, volleying a Fernandez-Pardo cut-back over before a heavy Mboula tackle knocked off his right boot. He later fed Giroud, then made way for Correia, who hit the right post and missed late on.

Source: L'Équipe