UCL Recap: Lille snatch point in Dortmund
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In a lively match at the Westfalen Stadium, LOSC Lille snatched a vital draw after having been behind for most of the match. Les Dogues will return to the Stade-Pierre Mauroy next week with qualification fully in their hands after a Hákon Haraldsson cancelled out Karim Adeyemi's opener.
A nervy start
Still missing the likes of Tiago Santos and Edon Zhegrova from their eleven, Lille set out to play defensively, absorbing the hosts' attacks while hoping to spring wingers Ethan Mbappé (making his Champions League debut) and Haraldsson on the counter. Despite having a young side (besides Mbappé, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Haraldsson and Ngal'ayel Mukau are all 21 or under), Bruno Génésio's side soaked up the pressure admirably in the early going, despite not being able to fashion much in the way of chances themselves. Midway through the first half, with Dortmund having been gaining the upper hand for several minutes, the hosts made good at a corner, with Adeyemi netting after Lille failed to clear.
The goal seemed to give Dortmund even more impetus, but the closest they came to doubling their lead was just before the break, when Pascal Gross was flagged off, denying the former Brighton's potential goal. The match thus entered the break honors even, with Lille's determination keeping Dortmund in arm's reach.
ICE COLD HARALDSSON 🥶⭐️ pic.twitter.com/1iX0Xq6jGY
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) March 4, 2025
Haraldsson and David combine in style
That determination would yet prove decisive, though, as Lille would eventually draw level. The second half started much as the first had, with both teams playing on a knife's edge but failing to generate much in the penalty area. Lille might have hoped for a penalty just before the hour as Jonathan David was brought down in the area, but VAR waved off his protestations. Lille wouldn't have long to wait long for their goal, though, and even if the prolific David couldn't find the net, he could play provider, slipping in Haraldsson with a lovely reverse ball midway through the half.
With the score level, both sides scrapped for a winner, but the rest of the match was devoid of clear-cut chances, allowing Lille to take a deserved draw back to France ahead of next week's second leg. Speaking post-match, Haraldsson was ebullient about his side's chances of progressing, saying, "A 1-1 draw is a deserved result that gives us every opportunity for the second leg. What can Dortmund expect in Lille? Definitely a lot of energy - from our fans and us. We now have a very good chance of progressing and we want to capitalise on that."
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