Lille vs Real Madrid Review
Lille caused a major upset on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League by defeating 15-time champions Real Madrid 1-0, marking their eighth victory in their last nine European home matches. Real Madrid, the reigning European champions, had a strong start to their UCL campaign with a 3-1 win over Stuttgart in the first match and aimed to build on that success.
Just over five minutes into the game, they created their first opportunity when Jude Bellingham’s determined effort regained possession for Vinícius Júnior, whose powerful shot was saved by Lucas Chevalier. Lille matched their opponents’ intensity, with Jonathan David forcing an impressive double save from Andriy Lunin as the home team increased the pressure.
Lille continued to press and nearly scored in a lucky moment when Benjamin André’s misdirected cross worried Lunin, hitting the crossbar and bouncing away to safety. Real Madrid’s fortune changed just before halftime when Edon Zhegrova’s free-kick struck Eduardo Camavinga’s hand in the box. David stepped up to take the penalty and successfully converted, sending Lunin the wrong way from 12 yards.
After the break, Lille maintained their dominance, coming close to increasing their lead when Zhegrova’s shot curled just past the post. Carlo Ancelotti had seen enough and brought Kylian Mbappé off the bench just before the hour mark, but his presence did not have the intended impact. By the 85th minute, Real Madrid had yet to register a single shot on target in the second half, struggling to create clear chances.
Just moments later, Real had their best opportunity of the match when Arda Güler’s header was redirected towards the goal by Antonio Rüdiger, only to be cleared off the line by Tiago Santos. Lille faced one last moment of tension when Luka Modrić located an unmarked Güler in the penalty area, but Chevalier’s extended leg saved a crucial three points for Lille in their first-ever head-to-head encounter.