Jonathan David leads Lille's resurgence in Ligue 1

Lille have struggled to deal with the challenge of defending the Ligue 1 crown they won last year. The departure of Christophe Galtier at the start of the season has made things tougher. The club also parted ways with several top players, who moved to fresher pastures in Europe.

Boubakary Soumare and Maik Maignan's departure forced them to make changes to the backline. Despite roping in players like Amadou Onana and Hatem Ben Arfa (as a free agent), their title challenge flopped this season.

Lille's struggles early on

Jocelyn Gourvennec took over from Galtier at the start of the season. Taking over a deleted squad due to player departures, defending the crown was always going to be a near-impossible task. The earlier faltering came with Lille's backline failing to gel together. As they started to show some consistency in November 2021, results started flowing in their direction.

Gourvennec opted for a two-man holding midfield with Renato Sanches pushing higher up the pitch. It proved to be a masterstroke as Sanches' inclusion helped the team add a new dynamic to their attack.

Jonathan David leading the way

Lille are still continuing to figure out their best form but one man who has delivered all season is Jonathan David. The Canadian forward has performed in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League for the French side.

He has scored several crucial goals, including the ones against Rennes, AS Monaco and other lower-ranked teams. David's match-saving goals have given them a chance to qualify for Europe next season.

He has netted 13 goals in Ligue 1, and three goals in the Champions League this season. With nine games to go, they stand six points off Rennes, who currently hold the last Champions League qualifying slot.