LOSC lost at home in the first leg of the Europa League play-off against the Serbs Red Star Belgrade. Find the tops and flops of this difficult meeting for the Northerners.
A defeat at home and hopes of qualification already very slim. Lille lost (1-0) at its Pierre Mauroy enclosure against the leader of the Serbian championship, Red Star Belgrade, in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs, already jeopardizing their chance of reaching the round of 16 of the competition.
TOPS
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Özer leaves Lille in the match
Certainly, Lille lost and performed very poorly to reach the round of 16 of the Europa League. But ultimately, with a defeat by one goal (1-0), the Northerners are not doing so badly, and they owe it to their goalkeeper, Berke Özer. If he was unable to do anything about the goal conceded at the end of the first period, the Turkish goalkeeper, who had been at fault during the match in the league phase against these same Serbs, did everything to keep his team in the match. He notably stopped two attempts while he was face-to-face against an opponent and allowed his team not to (totally) sink. He was also reassuring on several hot balls, showing authority in his area. Thanks to its last rampart, Lille remains hopeful.
Perraud tried
While LOSC is in great pain at the start of 2026 – only one victory in 10 matches and 5 goals scored over this period – he is perhaps the only outfield player to survive in this team. This Thursday evening, Romain Perraud tried everything, but he was too alone. In the first period, he was the one who created the only small situation in the opponent’s area. In the second period, he tried several times to combine, to penetrate the Belgrade area. He also scored Lille’s only shot. Abandoned by his teammates, the left side had the merit of not giving up.
FLOPS
Haraldsson not found
Where has the promising player of last year and the start of the season gone? The one who made his teammates shine with passes of which he has the secret. Tonight, this player seemed from another time. Hakon Arnar Haraldsson was absolutely invisible against Belgrade, a match in which he seemed totally lost, both in his positioning and in his choices. The few times he had the ball at his feet, he made the wrong choice. Absolutely not decisive and even less impactful, the 22-year-old left his place at half-time, anonymously… He is far from being the technical leader he is supposed to embody, in an attack in great pain, which has just played its 6th match in 2026 without scoring a single goal.
A collective in crisis
Beyond the Icelandic attacking midfielder, it is the collective as a whole which suffered this evening, with the exception, therefore, of Romain Perraud. The defense was extremely feverish and was saved several times by its goalkeeper. Benjamin André, the captain, lost countless balls, especially in the second half, and could not find the words to find his teammates. In a right-back role that he occupies to help out, Ayyoub Bouaddi cannot express his qualities, and still loses too many dangerous balls, through greedy sins. Fernandez-Pardo and Correia contributed nothing in attack, as did the substitutes, notably Olivier Giroud, who was not found despite his 30 minutes spent on the pitch. A Lille without ideas, not helped by the numerous injuries in its squad and a coach, Bruno Génésio, who no longer seems to know what to do. The Lille people even left the stadium to a huge reaction from the supporters. A nightmarish start to the year for LOSC…
