UEL: Lille head to Serbia with hope
Buoyed by their first win in Ligue 1 McDonald's in 2026, Lille OSC head to Serbia on Thursday with the hope of progressing in the UEFA Europa League.
Promising individual performances
It has not been an easy start to 2026 for LOSC. Bruno Genesio has not hidden from that either. The Frenchman said prior to last week's Europa League play-off first-leg against Crvena Zvezda that he hoped his side could "turn things around". And he was confident that his side would do just that, leaning on the positive omens reflected in statistics but not in results. Going into that game, Lille were winless in Ligue 1 McDonald's in 2026 and had been knocked out of the Coupe de France at the hands of an in-form Lyon side.
Their only win in the calendar year to that point had come in the UEL, and LOSC were looking to use that competition as a springboard to better form. The first leg did not provide that. Chances were at a premium for Les Dogues, as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at the Stade Pierre Mauroy last Thursday.
Perhaps the 1-0 win over Angers at the weekend will prove to be that turning point. In an empty Stade Raymond Kopa, Lille registered their first league win of 2026 thanks to a penalty from Olivier Giroud.
Clinical from the spot 💥
The winning goal scored by Olivier Giroud 🤩#SCOLOSC
pic.twitter.com/MgsQiNEtnj— LOSC (@LOSC_EN) February 24, 2026
If LOSC's revival are to continue, the former France international will have to play his part, as will the other individuals, on whom the team's success relies. With Hamza Igamane out until the end of the season, there is an onus on Giroud, and so his return to the scoresheet can only be seen as a positive.
Another positive was the performance of the man who procured that spot kick, Tiago Santos. The Portuguese full-back has struggled for form since making his return from an ACL injury at the start of the season, and the presence of the experienced Thomas Meunier has limited his minutes. But for Genesio, there is a feeling that Santos may have now turned a corner. "He called himself into question. I spoke about it with him, but there is no problem on this topic," began the Lille manager.
Perrin looks to build on good start
He added, "I found him up to speed on the attacking side. He also respected the instructions on the defensive side. He was good in terms of his pressing. Now, he needs to start having these kinds of performances again."
Then there is the case of the January arrival, Gaetan Perrin. He netted in a draw against Brest (1-1) just over a week ago, and his performance against Angers was also full of promise. As his fitness builds, there is hope that his influence will grow, too.
After that win, perhaps crucial in their season, Genesio said that he was "impatient" for the return leg against Crvena Zvezda, as they look to overturn a one-goal deficit and confirm their return to form.
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>> Lille return to winning ways in Ligue 1 McDonald's against Angers
>> UEL: Crvena Zvezda edge Lille in Europa League play-off first-leg
