Video: On-loan Liverpool striker Divock Origi ends six-month goal drought with a hat-trick
Lille's Belgian forward Divock Origi celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Lille (LOSC) and Rennes (SRFC)
Divock Origi ended his goal drought in style with a hat-trick to fire Lille to a convincing 3-0 win over Rennes and extend their winning run to three games in Ligue 1.
The on-loan Liverpool forward, without a goal since the start of October, struck twice in the second half to add to his earlier strike to move Lille into the top 10 and above their opponents who are one of three sides now on 38 points.
It signals a dramatic change of fortune for Rene Girard's side, who had won just once in six games before notching three consecutive wins to move them away from any potential relegation troubles.
However, they had Vincent Enyeama to thank early on at Stade Pierre-Mauroy as only a sprawling save from the Nigeria goalkeeper prevented Paul-Georges Ntep from handing the visitors the lead after Ola Toivonen had played him in.
Lille responded and Marco Basa should have opened the scoring on 12 minutes but he could only head wide from close range in what was proving to be high-tempo opening to the encounter.
Then Origi and Nolan Roux combined to tee up Sofiane Boufal but, with Benoit Costil well beaten, his deflected 10-yard effort hit the upright moments before Adam Traore went close with a powerful drive from range.
With half-time fast approaching, and both sides enjoying some decent opportunities, it was Lille who finally made the breakthrough when Boufal's corner caused panic in the Rennes area and Origi was on hand to lash home from close range.
Rennes thought they had levelled shortly after the restart when Toivonen lifted the ball over Enyeama but the assistant's flag went up to deny the Sweden international.
To compound Rennes' frustrations, Origi then added his second of the game just after the hour mark.
The busy Boufal went down in the area under pressure from Henrique and the 19-year-old Belgium international took charge of the resulting spot-kick, firing straight down the middle from 12 yards.
Ntep wasted a good opportunity to hand his team a lifeline soon after, heading wide from the near post following a corner, before Lille wrapped up the points with 20 minutes still to play.
Idrissa Gueye and Roux combined well on the counter before the latter's delivery from the right was slid home by Origi to complete his hat-trick and a successful afternoon for Girard's men.
