Lille misses the victory by a few centimeters

At the Pierre Mauroy stadium,

Years go by but the stats remain hopelessly the same. For its seventh participation in the Champions League, Losc has still not managed to win its first group stage match. A black series that almost ended on Tuesday against the Germans in Wolfsburg.

But despite a clear domination, the Mastiffs conceded a draw (0-0) against a very pale leader of the Bundesliga. Infuriating but also encouraging for the rest of the competition in a very open group G where, with the draw between Sevilla and Salzburg in the other match (1-1), the four teams are tied with one point. Everything remains possible on condition of showing the same face in two weeks in Salzburg.

Lille in champion mode of France

We wondered where he had gone but that’s it, we found last season’s Losc. Badly embarked in the league after a missed start to the season (12th), the reigning French champion has finally woken up to get up to the level of the Champions League. Enterprising, aggressive, determined, Gourvennec’s men had their best game of the season, largely dominating the Bundesliga leader who did not shoot once on goal in the first half.

Alas, despite multiple opportunities from Yilmaz, David or Gomes, Losc never managed to find the loophole in the German defense. Even in numerical superiority after the expulsion of Brooks (62nd), the Northerners were unable to take advantage of this advantage. Too bad because there was plenty of room to do better.

The VAR deprives the Losc of victory

The action was almost perfect. In the 48th minute, on a magnificent collective movement initiated by Gomes, extended by Ikoné and concluded by David, the Losc thought they had done the hard part by opening the scoring. In a molten stadium, all Lille shouted their joy and congratulated each other … without seeing that the referee was consulting the VAR. Because, when triggering his action, Gomes had recovered the ball behind the touchline. For a few centimeters, the Losc was therefore deprived of a goal, however well deserved.

Rebelote at the very last second of the match where after a foul on Onana in the box, the referee first whistles a penalty … before going back on his decision because the Lille midfielder had been unbalanced just outside. The centimeters will not really have been in favor of the Northerners this Tuesday evening.

An atmosphere of great evenings

The Pierre Mauroy stadium might not have been full, the Losc supporters were largely there. Before the match, it already felt the atmosphere of the great evenings with incessant encouragement and the joy of finding the most beautiful European competition. The good performance of the Northerners did not bring down the atmosphere, on the contrary.

We even thought we were living an earthquake when David thought he opened the scoring when he returned from the locker room. The bronca which followed the cancellation of the goal also gave chills. Three days before the derby against Lens, Losc supporters also took the opportunity to launch songs hostile to the regional rival. Before long applauding their players at the whistle of a necessarily frustrating match on the field but delightful in the stands.