In front of 50,000 people at their new stadium, Lille could only 1-1 with Nancy in the second round of Ligue 1 fixtures.
Nancy took an early lead in the game through Djamel Bakar, but former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou made up for a glaring early miss by heading home a fine equaliser.
The home team dominated and pressed for victory in the second-half, but could not get the necessary goal against a Nancy side that finished with just 10 men.
Brazilian striker Túlio de Melo, who played the full 90 minutes, said post-match: “It was a difficult match against a team that came to defend.
“They succeeded, but we really wanted to win this game. Now, we must concentrate on the Champions League against FC Copenhagen.”
Lille will take on the Danish side on Wednesday for a place in the Group Stage of the Champions League.
