Saint-Etienne Opens Ligue 1 Account With Win Over Lille

A tale of two penalties and a tale of two halves

Saint-Etienne opened its Ligue 1 account with a 2-1 win over Lille on Saturday. Both goals came from the penalty spot, with Wahbi Khazri converting twice for the hosts. Jonathan David had equalized for Lille in between Khazri's goals.

Saint-Etienne had the better of the first half and took a deserved lead when Khazri converted a penalty in the 25th minute. The penalty was awarded after Lille goalkeeper Ivo Grbic brought down Arnaud Nordin in the area.

Lille improved after the break and equalized through David in the 69th minute. The Canadian striker fired home a low shot after being played in by Renato Sanches.

However, Saint-Etienne regained the lead just four minutes later when Khazri converted another penalty. This time, the spot-kick was awarded after Lille defender Tiago Djaló handled the ball in the area.

Lille pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but Saint-Etienne held on to secure all three points.

A tale of two penalties

The match was ultimately decided by two penalties. Saint-Etienne was awarded both penalties, and Khazri converted both of them.

The first penalty was a clear-cut decision, as Grbic clearly brought down Nordin in the area. The second penalty was more controversial, as it was awarded for handball against Djaló.

However, replays showed that the ball did strike Djaló's hand, and the referee was correct to award the penalty.

A tale of two halves

The match was also a tale of two halves. Saint-Etienne was the better team in the first half and deservedly took the lead.

However, Lille improved after the break and equalized through David. Saint-Etienne regained the lead just four minutes later, but Lille continued to push for an equalizer in the closing stages.

In the end, Saint-Etienne held on to secure all three points.