Bentaleb returns from heart attack, inspires Lille win

PARIS — Nabil Bentaleb scored four minutes into his first appearance since suffering a heart attack, inspiring Lille to a 2-0 victory at Rennes on Sunday with his coach hailing the player's "incredible story".

The win allowed Lille to reclaim fifth place in Ligue 1 that Lyon had briefly grabbed earlier in the day by thrashing last-placed Montpellier.

Nice won 3-1 at struggling Le Havre to climb back into the top three.

Bentaleb, a 30-year-old Algerian international midfielder, suffered a heart attack last June.

He has since been fitted with a defibrillator, club sources told reporters. On Wednesday, the French Football Federation medical commission cleared him to play.

He returned to the pitch on the 76-minute mark on Sunday night, four minutes after the host had been reduced to 10 men when Christopher Wooh was sent off.

Lille had bombarded Brice Samba in the Rennes goal, who had also saved a weak first half penalty by Chuba Akpom.

But, four minutes after coming on Bentaleb broke the deadlock, running in at the far post to poke home the rebound after another Samba save.

Bentaleb galloped to the sideline pointing to the coaching staff before jumping into their arms. Akpom slid home a second six minutes later.

'Terrible times'

"It's really an incredible story and we're all happy to experience it," said Lille coach Bruno Genesio.

"He hung on, he believed in himself, he believed in the people who took care of him.

"There were periods where we all wondered if he was going to play again or not. As time went by, we all had more and more confidence in him and in his ability to play again."

Genesio added: "Obviously, it was already a real victory for him, because he went through terrible times."

On a day when all five away teams won, Nice seized control in Le Havre through a 16th minute goal from Gaetan Laborde and an own-goal from Etienne Youte Kinkoue two minutes later.

Yassine Kechta replied for the host after 28 minutes. Nice fullback Melvin Bard received his second yellow card in the final minute, but substitute Sofiane Diop sealed the win for the visitor with a goal deep into added time.

Nice regained the final guaranteed Champions League slot on goal difference from Monaco, who had hammered Nantes 7-1 on Saturday.

Lyon took revenge for a home defeat earlier in the season with a 4-1 win at Montpellier.

Georges Mikautadze gave the visitor a third-minute lead. Tanguy Coulibaly leveled before the break.

Lyon dominated the second half and struck through Ernest Nuamah, Corentin Tolisso and Alexandre Lacazette, with his 15th career goal against Montpellier.

Next up Lyon hosts league leader Paris Saint-Germain.

AFP