Europa League: Lille edge Red Star Belgrade to advance
Lille picked up a gritty win on the road in Belgrade to beat Red Star 2-0, advancing to the Europa League Round of 16 on aggregate.
Génésio's bold choices pay off
On an evening in which his side were facing a Serbian side who had thoroughly dominated the first leg, but led by only a goal, Lille manager Bruno Génésio set out his stall with plenty of ambition. Leaning on experienced players like Chancel Mbemba and Olivier Giroud, there was little doubt as to whether the manager believed there was something in the tie, and likewise short shrift given to Sunday's upcoming Ligue 1 McDonald's clash against FC Nantes.
Thus, it was a bold choice from Génésio, and Lille's play on the front foot also reflected Les Dogues' ambition in their play, as they immediately pinned the hosts back. That bravery would quickly pay off, as Giroud combined with his fellow veteran, captain Benjamin André, to head in at the near post with just four minutes on the clock, leveling the tie on aggregate. Red Star would try to respond, but struggled to establish themselves in Lille's half, in what was rapidly becoming a chippy affair.
Lille lived through some nervy moments, with a few miscues at the back, but would take Giroud's goal into the break, leading 1-0 and with the hosts having not really threatened Berke Özer's goal. Indeed, Matias Fernandez-Pardo would have a fine chance on 42 minutes, but the Red Star 'keeper managed to punch his curling effort clear. Another chance for the young Belgian would follow, but again the home 'keeper was quick off his line to preserve the margin.
You can always count on Giroud ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/2F8DSwxLGM
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) February 26, 2026
Red star take control, but LILLE settle the tie
The start of the second half, however, saw the hosts, who had made two changes at the break, respond to being behind, and they pressed Lille hard, even as Romain Perraud (48') had a strong chance from a mis-cleared corner. The match then broke down to some extent, with both sides failing to create chances from open play, and only the odd corner to show for their efforts.
On 77 minutes, though, there was a heart-in-mouth moment for Les Dogues, but Aissa Mandi managed to hack the ball off the line. After 90 minutes, Giroud's goal remained the match's only one, and the tie headed to extra time. After Génésio appeared to have made defensive changes, taking off Tiago Santos in extra time, his replacement, Nathan Ngoy, struck a powerful shot (100') to put Lille ahead 2-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate. Red Star would then test Ozer through Marko Arnautovic (107') but Lille held on to advance to the Round of 16.
Read more:
