Lille Reach Seventh Heaven with UCL Win Over Feyenoord

Bruno Génésio and his team quickly took control of the contest, with Osame Sahraoui opening the scoring in the fourth minute as he fired in a perfectly placed shot after being set up by Rémy Cabella for the 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later, Feyenoord equalized from a corner, with Santiago Giménez capitalizing on a defensive lapse to beat Lucas Chevalier. The Mexican's goal would be the only bright spot for the visitors as Les Dogues scored five unanswered goals.

Lille continued to push for the lead after giving up their early lead and their second goal came after a nice combination between Mitchell Bakker and Sahraoui. It was Gernot Trauner who deflected Sahraoui’s shot into his net for an own goal as Feyenoord fell behind 2-1 after that defensive mistake.

After the halftime break, LOSC extended their lead despite a stronger second half performance from the Dutch side. Following a quick link-up with Bakker, Angel Gomes fired a shot from a tight angle, which deflected off Dávid Hancko and into the net past Timon Wellenreuther for the 3-1 Lille lead.

Jonathan David, who came on for Mohamed Bayo in the second half, pounced on a missed shot by Ayyoub Bouaddi, collected the ball in the box, dribbled past three defenders, and made it 4-1 in the 74th minute.

Two minutes later, Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, who came off the bench in place of Gomes, forced Trauner into an error on the fifth goal with Sahraoui once again playing a key role in the build-up.

After the VAR check confirmed the fifth goal, Lille added a sixth with another assist from the impressive Sahraoui, who set up Cabella for a header in the 80th minute.

Lille’s dominant victory over Feyenoord secured a seventh-place finish in the standings, guaranteeing them a spot in the Champions League Round of 16, where they will face Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, or Club Brugge.

After the match, Génésio spoke to Canal+ and shared his thoughts on Lille's performance on Wednesday night and finishing in the top eight.

"We couldn’t have asked for much more! The main goal was to win, and we did, with a big margin. On top of that, the other results went in our favor, so we’re ending this league phase in the best way possible."

"Finishing seventh is a huge source of pride for my players, my staff, and all the work we’ve put in. Avoiding two extra matches is a big bonus, especially given the packed schedule we’ve had since August. We do this job to experience these moments and emotions."

The Stat: Lille's Record at Home when Jonathan David scores

Lille have never lost at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy when David scores in official competitions, recording 32 wins and eight draws.

Photo credit: @losclive

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