Big winner in Austria a week ago, Lille negotiated their second round well against Sturm Graz to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League (1-1).
There will therefore be three representatives of French football on the European scene in the spring. A small feat that deserves to be highlighted. After Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Olympique Marseille in the Europa League, Lille punched their ticket for the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League this Thursday evening.
There was little suspense after the first round, which Paulo Fonseca’s men had negotiated brilliantly a week ago, winning 3-0 against the Austrian team. With a tinkered eleven, the northern club produced a very serious copy to finish the job and seal their qualification.
LOSC finishes the job
The light came from Tiago Santos, scorer with a perfectly adjusted flat left foot (1-0, 43rd). The Austrian team, stung in its pride, had the merit of reacting before the break by equalizing with a helmet hit from Wüthrich (1-1, 45th+1). Enough to save honor, but not to make these Lille residents doubt their crampons.
Intelligent in its management after the break, LOSC avoided major scares, in a balance of power that it will have generally dominated in all areas of the game. Lille will have a card to play in a competition that French football cannot neglect.
