UEFA Champions League, Round 2, 02/10/2024
History awaited at the Stade Pierre Mauroy as the minutes ticked away and a stadium waited in anticipation for the final whistle. When it arrived a wave of jubilation hit the Stade Pierre Mauroy. Lille OSC had done the unthinkable. Jonathan David’s 45th-minute penalty would seal a famous 1-0 victory over European champions Real Madrid.
The Match
A couple of heavy touches from Real Madrid set the tempo as Lille controlled the ball in the early exchanges. The threat from Los Blancos was always clear and they were more than comfortable playing without the ball. A mistake from Edon Zhegrova near his own goal allowed the visitors to pounce with Vincius Jr striking a venomous shot in the sixth minute but one that Lucas Chevalier dealt with comfortably.
Real Madrid were happy to wait for their chances and spring into action when Lille made errors in their half. André lost possession and Endrick stormed through the defence, however, his shot was left wanting as it went straight towards Chevalier. Lille should have put themselves ahead in the 25th minute when Zhegrova’s swinging cross found Jonathan David at the far post, the striker’s header deflected off Andriy Lunin before his follow-up bounced off the post.
It would take until the stroke of halftime for Lille to find the lead. Zhegrova’s free-kick hit Eduardo Camavinga in the hand. The referee waved the decision away but VAR advised him to check the screen. A quick decision and a penalty was awarded. David stepped up and fired the ball into the top right-hand corner, while Lunin leapt in the opposite direction.
Lille carried their threat into the second half of the contest. Zhegrova flashed a shot from the box, but it curled safely out of play. Carlo Ancelotti had seen enough and the boos rang out as Kylian Mbappé stood waiting to come onto the pitch and mark his return to the stadium that had hosted his final game at Paris Saint-Germain. It was a change that signalled a different feeling to the game.
Real Madrid began to control the ball more forcing Lille to wait for their chances and hit on the counter. However, Les Dogues were happy with this arrangement and Zhegrova continued to be this twisting and twirling threat down the wing. His feet were quick and his delivery carried a consistent threat.
The yellow cards began to pick up for Real Madrid as frustration began to boil over as the game wore closer to its conclusion. Antonio Rüdiger already on a yellow card was lucky not to receive a second booking when he pulled Alexsandro to the ground by his arm. The referee appeared not to see and VAR was unable to intervene as it was not a red card offence.
The pressure was mounting. Real Madrid flooded forward with Chevalier forced into action. Luka Modrić lobbed the Lille defensive line and found Arda Güler, but the Turkish international’s header was fired straight into Chevalier. One last chance from Modrić’s freekick in the final minute, but it would come to nothing as it couldn’t beat the final man. The final whistle blew. Release. Celebration. Lille had won.
Lille Player Ratings
Lucas Chevalier – 9
The last line of defence. The France U21 was crucial again for Lille. He was vital as he consistently several saves to keep Madrid frustrated. Lille are well aware of the talent that they have on their hands. And with each game that he plays the price for the goalkeeper only increases.
Gabriel Gudmundsson – 7
Alexsandro – 7
Bafodé Diakité, 7
Mitchel Bakker – 6
Ayyoub Bouaddi – 8
An incredible evening for the midfielder who turned 17 today and was likely not in Bruno Génésio’s plans until Angel Gomes was suspended in the match against Sporting. There was ice in his veins. His touches on the ball were calm and reassuring as he made his first start in the Champions League. The future looks exceptionally bright for another in Lille’s long line of academy products.
Benjamin André – 6
Tiago Santos – 7
Rémy Cabella – 6
Edon Zhegrova – 9
The Kosovan international was a constant flurry of activity. A danger that kept the Real Madrid defence consistently on their toes, and the person who caused the penalty.
Jonathan David – 7
Real Madrid selected player ratings
Endrick – 4
Jude Bellingham – 4
The England international looked frustrated throughout the evening and ineffective when positioned out wide on the flanks of a 4-4-2. A number of late challenges would eventually result in a booking not far from the end of the game.
Vinicius Jr. – 4
