Lille were quick out of the blocks after the Ligue 1 winter break on Friday, overcoming a late sending off to beat Caen 3-1 and consolidate second place behind Paris Saint-Germain.
Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pepe was at the heart of this 11th league success of the season, scoring in the eighth minute and setting up Rafael Leao and Brazilian Luiz Araujo to complete a cosy win.
READ ALSO: 2019 FIFA WWC: Tough draw for Super Falcons
Pepe’s 13th goal of the campaign drew him level in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.
Caen got a late consolation five minutes into time added on from their Chad striker Casimir Ninga.
Lille finished a man down with Zeki Celik’s…