Yahoo Sports UCL Opposition Watch | Lille
After PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig and Stuttgart, Juventus' Champions League journey will continue with an away fixture at the Stade Pierre Mauroy against LOSC Lille. Again, as in the first three matches in this season's top European competition, this will be an unprecedented challenge, as these two teams have never met.
Despite having never faced off, Lille have played 12 times against Italian sides in their history: four times in the Champions League, with one win, one draw and two defeats against AC Milan and Inter; four times in the Europa League, registering two wins, one draw and one defeat against Genoa and AC Milan; twice in the UEFA Cup, winning on both occasions against Fiorentina; and finally a double-header against Parma in a Champions League qualifying round, where they registered both a win and a loss.
LILLE’S HISTORY
Born out of the merger between Olympique Lillois and Fives in 1944, the French club first took the name Stade lillois, before soon after officially and permanently becoming LOSC (Lille Olympique Sporting Club) Lille.
The club’s colours are red, blue and white, in homage of the kit colours of the two clubs that, together, gave birth to LOSC Lille.
Lille have four French league titles to their name, the last won in the 2020/2021 season featuring current Bianconero Timothy Weah, while they’ve also lifted six French cups, a French Super Cup and, at international level, an Intertoto Cup in 2004.
The home of Lille, where the match against Juventus will be played, is the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, which replaced the Stadium Lille Métropole in 2012 and can accommodate more than 50 000 people.
LILLE THIS SEASON
Finishing fourth last season in Ligue 1 with 59 points, behind PSG, Monaco and Brest, the team – coached last season by Paulo Fonseca and today by Bruno Génésio – gained access to the third qualifying round of the Champions League where, after a home victory and then an away extra-time draw, they overcame Fenerbahce to reach the play-offs. Awaiting the French before accessing the final phase was Slavia Prague, who they overcame with a 2-0 win in Lille and an irrelevant 2-1 defeat in the Czech Republic.
In Ligue 1 so far this campaign, they’ve recorded two victories (against Reims and Angers) and one defeat (against PSG) in their first three matches, with five goals scored and three conceded.
WE’LL SEE YOU ON TUESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER AT 21:00 CEST AT THE STADE PIERRE MAUROY!
