A draw (2-2) conceded in the final moments and Losc is forced to go through two qualifying rounds if it wants to compete in the Champions League next season. For the moment, Lille are not seeded and could face a big challenge. But one scenario would allow Paulo Fonseca’s men to benefit from a more lenient draw.
Losc has four potential opponents in front of it in the UEFA index ranking. Benfica Lisbon is the best-off team with 79,000 points, ahead of Glasgow Rangers (63,000), Slavia Prague (53,000) and RB Salzburg (50,000). Just behind with its 47,000 points, Lille risks facing one of these four teams for the moment.
An eye on the Belgian championship
Except that if Bayer Leverkusen wins the Europa League against Atalanta Bergamo on Wednesday, Benfica would be directly qualified for the Champions League, which would free up a place for the Mastiffs. But that might not be enough. In addition to a victory for Xabi Alonso’s men, FC Bruges must not finish second in the Belgian championship, in which case it would be among the top seeds with its 64,000 points.
For now, Bruges is still at the top of the Belgian championship, three points ahead of Union Saint-Gilloise before the last meeting of the season against Cercle Bruges on Sunday. A draw would be enough for him to be directly qualified for the C1, to the delight of Lille.
