Nabil Bentaleb marked a remarkable return to action with a goal just four minutes after stepping onto the pitch, propelling Lille to a 2-0 win at Rennes on Sunday.
This victory, his first appearance since suffering a heart attack last June, brought Lille back to fifth place in Ligue 1, reclaiming the position briefly overtaken by Lyon earlier in the day following their dominant 4-1 win at Montpellier.
Bentaleb, a 30-year-old Algerian international midfielder, was fitted with a defibrillator after his cardiac arrest.
The French Football Federation cleared him to play just days before his return.
Bentaleb’s journey back to football has captivated fans and players alike, with Lille’s coach Bruno Genesio calling it “an incredible, wonderful story.”
Bentaleb’s comeback came after Rennes was reduced to 10 men, following Christopher Wooh’s 76th-minute red card.
Lille had been relentlessly testing Rennes goalkeeper Brice Samba, who had earlier saved a weak penalty from Chuba Akpom.
Four minutes after entering the field, Bentaleb capitalized on a rebound from a Samba save to score the opener.
He sprinted toward the sideline, pointing to the coaching staff before leaping into their arms.
Akpom added a second six minutes later to seal the win.
“It’s worthy of a film,” said Lille manager Genesio, speaking of Bentaleb’s inspiring return.
“He deserved it because I don’t believe in luck. He believed in himself, and it’s a story that will remain engraved in our minds and the history of this club.”
Bentaleb’s road to recovery was a tough one.
After his heart attack in June, Lille confirmed that he had been hospitalized for a cardiac arrest and fitted with a pacemaker.
Though initially advised to step away from football, he chose to defy the odds and follow the example of Christian Eriksen, making his extraordinary return to elite football.
Genesio praised Bentaleb’s resilience, reflecting on the doubts the team faced during his recovery.
“There were moments when we wondered if he would play again, but as time passed, we gained more confidence in his ability,” Genesio said.
“It’s a victory not just for Nabil, but for all of us who supported him.”
Other Ligue 1 games
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Nice climbed back into the top three with a 3-1 win at Le Havre, thanks to goals from Gaetan Laborde, an Etienne Youte Kinkoue own goal, and a late strike from Sofiane Diop.
Lyon, meanwhile, avenged an earlier season defeat by thrashing Montpellier 4-1. Strasbourg moved up to seventh with a 2-0 win at Lens, while PSG remained 10 points clear at the top with a narrow 1-0 victory over Toulouse.
With Lyon preparing to face Paris Saint-Germain next, manager Paulo Fonseca expressed confidence in his team’s progress, aiming to challenge the league leaders at home.
Read the full article here
