Substitute Eden Hazard scored the winner 10 minutes from time as Lille warmed up for their crunch Champions League encounter with Trabzonspor with an unconvincing 3-2 win at Ligue 1 basement-boys Ajaccio.
The hosts took the lead in the second minute when Christian Kinkela's free-kick went in off Aurelien Chedjou, before two goals in five minutes from Ludovic Obraniak and Marko Basa turned things around.
Ilan pulled Ajaccio level again eight minutes before the break, but Hazard, rested presumably with an eye on Wednesday's must-win game, stepped off the bench to score the winner from the spot.
Lille suffered a nightmare start when Kinkela's free-kick bounced in the area and went in off Chedjou.
Obraniak levelled after 12 minutes in similar circumstance, his 30-yard free-kick bouncing in front of goal and going straight into the net without anyone getting a touch this time.
Johan Cavalli went close to putting the hosts ahead for a second time after 15 minutes but his header from Damien Tibri's cross on a lightning break skimmed the post on its way behind.
And it proved costly as a minute later when Basa succeeded where Tibri failed, glancing Dmitri Payet's corner across goal from the near post and into the top corner.
But it was all square again in the 37th minute when Basa miscontrolled inside the area and Ilan swooped to beat Mickael Landreau from close range.
Eight minutes into the second half Ireneusz Jelen went close for Lille when he curled a shot on goal but Guillermo Ochoa was there to save.
At the other end, Landreau punched clear when Mehdi Mostefa drove at goal in the 73rd minute.
But Hazard, a 56th-minute replacement for Joe Cole, took the game by the scruff of the neck, converting from the spot after Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi fouled Florent Balmont, then coming close to bagging a second when he smashed a free-kick against the bar four minutes from time.
He also saw a volley from Landreau's clearance saved by Ochoa in stoppage time.
