UCL Recap: Lille, Jonathan David End Real Madrid’s Unbeaten Run

LOSC Lille secured a historic 1-0 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday night at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. The Ligue 1 side's result ended the Spanish club's 14-game unbeaten run in the UEFA Champions League and 36-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Both teams had four shots in the first half, but it was Les Dogues who found the back of the net just before halftime. Following a VAR review, the home side was awarded a penalty kick, and it was Jonathan David who stepped into the box for the shot.

David converted the penalty kick to give Lille a 1-0 advantage and positive momentum heading into halftime. In the second half, Real Madrid generated more shots than the French club as the away side recorded eight while LOSC countered with three.

Even though Los Blancos had 12 total shots in the match, Lucas Chevalier was there to deny them with the 22-year-old making five saves in the game. Despite scoring one goal, it was all Lille would need to secure the three points.

Following the win, manager Bruno Génésio spoke to Canal+, reflecting on the result while also revealing how his squad prepared for the matchup against Real Madrid. Lille used their opponent's contest this past weekend against Atlético de Madrid to draw up their gameplan.  

"What matters most is what the team accomplished. We set things in motion, and now we need the players to buy in. When facing these teams, everything has to be done almost perfectly. We had a fantastic first half and caused them a lot of trouble before we had to deal with more pressure in the second. But we stuck together, and it turned into a great evening for everyone."

"We learned a lot from the match against Atlético. We aimed to add more depth to our play by holding onto the ball a bit longer than usual while also pressing in certain moments. It worked out perfectly. Scoring just before halftime was ideal. After that, it got really tough; they applied a lot of pressure, and Lucas made some crucial saves. Our hard work has paid off."

The victory also places Génésio in impressive company, making him the second French coach to defeat Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho, and Carlo Ancelotti in official competitions, following in the footsteps of Arsène Wenger.

Lille will enjoy this win and turn the page as they'll face Toulouse FC at home before the FIFA international break. LOSC's next Champions League match will come on October 23 when they face Atlético de Madrid.

Photo credit: @losclive

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