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Lille have won four of their six Champions League games this season Substitute Hakon Haraldsson scored a late winner as Lille fended off a Sturm Graz comeback to move closer to the Champions League knockouts. Lille dominated the first half at Stade Pierre Mauroy and took a deserved lead when Osame Sahraoui finished off a slick counter-attack with an arrowed strike into the bottom corner. Jonathan David should have scored earlier in the half but he scooped Thomas Meunier's cut-back over the bar after his side were denied a penalty by a video assistant referee (VAR) review. Lille doubled their advantage in first-half injury-time as Mitchel Bakker stabbed past Daniil Khudyakov from close range following some neat build-up play between David and Remy Cabella. However, the visitors hit back immediately as Otar Kiteishvili converted at the back post with the final kick of the half. The Austrian side completed an unlikely comeback two minutes into the second half as Mika Biereth slotted in William Boving's low ball across the face of goal. Lille fell flat after that goal as the visitors grew in confidence, but the momentum swung back in the home side's favour with Bakker and Meunier forcing Khudyakov into smart stops and David flashing an effort narrowly wide. Lille coach Bruno Genesio introduced Haraldsson from the bench as the French side searched for a winner - and a reward came 58 seconds later when the Iceland international winger beat Khudyakov with a venomous near-post strike. Victory means Lille have 13 points after six games and are all but guaranteed a place in the Champions League knockouts. A fifth defeat in six games leaves Sturm Graz 29th in the standings and facing elimination. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Latest Champions League table Champions League scores & fixtures Follow the latest Champions League news Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22: 00 on Wednesday on BBC i Player and the BBC Sport website and app. There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22: 40 to 00: 00. Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 11th December 2024 at 21: 52 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Bruno Génésio Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Jürgen Säumel Formation: 4 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 Manager: Bruno Génésio Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Jürgen Säumel Formation: 4 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 UEFA Champions League All competitions All competitions All competitions The only previous meetings between Lille and Sturm Graz came in the Last 16 of last season’s UEFA Conference League. The French side won 3-0 away from home in the first leg, before drawing 1-1 in the second leg (progressing 4-1 on aggregate). Sturm Graz have never won away to a French opponent in European competition, losing four of their five such matches to date (D1). Indeed, their opening match of the current UEFA Champions League campaign was a defeat away to French side Brest (1-2). Lille have won six of their last eight UEFA Champions League matches in the group/league phase (D1 L1), as many as they did in their first 39 such games (W6 D15 L18). Sturm Graz ended a run of six consecutive UEFA Champions League defeats with a 1-0 win over Girona on MD5 – the Austrian side are looking for consecutive wins in the competition for the first time since February 2001, when they twice beat Panathinaikos in the second group stage. Across their 14 away UEFA Champions League matches, Sturm Graz have lost 11 and won just once (D2), with that loss percentage of 79% the second-worst of any side to play that many away games, behind only Celtic (lost 34/41, 83%). Lille have only won five of their 25 home UEFA Champions League matches (D12 L8), with all five wins coming in a different campaign (2001-02, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2021-22 and 2024-25). Following their 1-0 win over Real Madrid on MD2, Bruno Génésio’s side are looking to win two home games in a season for the first time. Although they’ve lost 80% of their UEFA Champions League games this season (4/5), Sturm Graz have only conceded an average of 1. 2 goals per game (6 in 5 games). That is the lowest average by a team to lose more than 70% of their games in a single season. Lille haven’t scored more than once in any of their last 14 home UEFA Champions League games, scoring just seven times. Indeed, of teams to play 15+ home games, Lille are the only side whose home games average fewer than two goals per game overall, with just 43 goals scored (20 for, 23 against) in 25 games (1. 7 per game). Ngal'ayel Mukau scored both of Lille’s goals in their 2-1 win over Bologna on MD5. The 20-year-old could become the youngest ever Lille player (20y 38d) to score in consecutive major European appearances with a goal in this match, with Timothy Weah the current youngest (20 years, 362 days in 2020-21). Sturm Graz’s last two wins in major European competitions have been 1-0 victories and the winner has been scored by Mika Biereth in both games (vs. Slovan Bratislava in February and Girona in November). The only Graz player to score the winner in more games in Europe is Mario Haas (3 in 2001). Match ends, Lille 3, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 2. Second Half ends, Lille 3, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 2. Benjamin André (Lille) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Seedy Jatta (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz). Attempt missed. Jonathan David (Lille) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is too high following a corner. Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time. Corner, Lille. Conceded by Gregory Wüthrich. Attempt missed. Mohamed Bayo (Lille) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Hákon Haraldsson. Substitution, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz. Seedy Jatta replaces Tochi Chukwuani. Substitution, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz. Arjan Malic replaces Max Johnston. Hand ball by Dimitri Lavalée (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz). Substitution, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz. Tomi Horvat replaces William Bøving. Substitution, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz. Stefan Hierländer replaces Jon Gorenc Stankovic. Hákon Haraldsson (Lille) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Dimitri Lavalée (SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz). Goal! Lille 3, SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 2. Hákon Haraldsson (Lille) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Jonathan David. Substitution, Lille. Mohamed Bayo replaces Osame Sahraoui because of an injury. Substitution, Lille. Hákon Haraldsson replaces Mitchel Bakker. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match because of an injury Osame Sahraoui (Lille). © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.