Danish-born midfielder of Ghanaian descent Noah Nartey made an immediate impact at his new club by scoring Sunday on his Ligue 1 debut to lead Lyon to a 10th consecutive win across all competitions.
In a match of few chances for both teams, Nartay broke the deadlock in the 37th minute as Lyon beat Lille 1-0 to climb to fourth place in the French league, level on points with third-placed Marseille.
The 20-year-old attacker player signed a five-year contract with Lyon last month, joining from Brondby.
Lille dominated the first half and Nartay showed his solid defensive skills. He then displayed his composure to send a low shot between the legs of the Lille goalkeeper. That capped a fine move by Ruben Kluivert, who had rushed down the the left flank then set up his teammate with a precise cut-back pass at the penalty spot.
“I’m proud of the team, we worked hard,” Kluivert said. “Lille was good, but we were better.”
Nartay’s goal extended Lille’s losing streak to a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 match, with Bruno Génésio’s team in fifth place, seven points behind Lyon.
Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain played at Strasbourg later Sunday and is looking to move back to the top. Lens reclaimed the lead with a 1-0 win against Le Havre on Friday.
