Lille leave it late

By Rui Matos Pereira at the Dr Magalhães Pessoa stadium

Extra-time goals from Matt Moussilou and Milenko Acimovic ensured Lille OSC lifted the UEFA Intertoto Cup and progressed to the UEFA Cup at UD Leiria's expense in Portugal.

Deadlock broken
Regulation time went the same way as the goalless 90 minutes of the first leg and it was not until three hours and 14 minutes of football had been played that 22-year-old Moussilou broke the deadlock to put the French side in the driving seat. As Leiria pressed forward in search of a goal of their own they became stretched at the back and Acimovic capitalised to score the Ligue 1 side's second goal and put him and his team-mates in Friday's first-round draw.

Cautious start
Both sides had begun cautiously with Edson's long-range ninth-minute drive, which whistled over the crossbar, the first chance. Lille, on the other hand, tried to outpace the home side on the break and squandered a good chance on ten minutes, when Johan Audel broke from the left side and crossed to the far post, where Christophe Landrin hit the post and Jean Makoun failed to connect with the rebound.

Woodwork clipped
Midway through the half, Lille centre-half Stathis Tavlaridis rose at the far post to connect with an Acimovic free-kick, but his header clipped the bar. Then Audel tried a solo effort, skipping past three opponents, but was denied by Leiria goalkeeper Hélton.

Caíco denied
Caíco tried his luck from distance at the other end before forcing Sylva into a fine save but as time went on it was the visitors who looked most likely to progress. Nuno Laranjeiro's free-kick which skidded wide represented the Portuguese side's best chance, with Tavlaridis again going close with a header for Lille.

Lille strikes
Brazilian striker Freddy hit the crossbar with just Sylva to beat in extra time but that was the cue for Lille to up their game. Moussilou slid the ball past the helpless Hélton to open the scoring and Acimovic's low shot made it 2-0.