With more than a decade having passed since Lille last qualified for the UEFA Champions League in back-to-back years, the Mastiffs’ desperation to end that wait was in full evidence in a strong first half.
And after Radoslaw Majecki thwarted a Ngal'ayel Mukau shot bound for the bottom-right corner, Haraldsson netted the opener on 23’, as an exchange of passes culminated in Mukau laying the ball on for the Icelander to fire in.
Monaco were clearly struggling to shake off the psychological blow of their midweek elimination to Benfica, and nobody embodied that more than Krepin Diatta, who played a huge role in giving Lille a second goal just before half-time.
His pass across the box to a teammate was badly underhit, and Haraldsson gleefully prodded in his second of the day after an initial save from Majecki.
There was to be another twist just two minutes later though, with the final play of the half seeing last week’s hat-trick hero for Monaco, Mika Biereth, play a cheeky pass inside the box for Takumi Minamino to place a first-time shot beyond Lucas Chevalier.
That changed the complexion of the game, but there was nothing in the early second-half minutes to suggest a genuine fightback was on the cards, save for Vanderson creating a couple of openings – somewhat promising before being snuffed out by red shirts – and seeing a shot blocked on the hour mark.
Monaco struggled to construct the necessary passing sequences with enough consistency to net a late equaliser, though there would have surely been one 10 minutes before time, when a failed clearance from a Monaco corner saw Wilfried Singo cross deep in the area towards George Ilenikhena, who could only flick the ball into safe territory rather than meet it head-on and rescue a point.
Substitute Breel Embolo should also have done better when put through, finding himself blocked well – as did Minamino when receiving a rebound inside the box.
In the end, it was something of a white-knuckle ride to three points for Lille, who will relish not only their provisional return to the Champions League group stage qualification berths, but also their first set of successive league wins since October.
As for Monaco, they are now without a win in six top-flight games on the road (D2, L4), and with an average of two goals conceded per match across that sequence, probing questions must be asked about their defence if they are to avoid falling short of the Champions League in May.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Hakon Arnar Haraldsson (Lille)
