So solid during the qualifying rounds, LOSC was much less so this Saturday on the occasion of its first match in the regular phase of C1. On the Sporting field, the northern team did not really exist this Tuesday and it is without surprise that it conceded its first defeat (0-2).
Alexsandro has weighed down LOSC
At the Estadio José Alvalade, Bruno Genesio’s men even waited until the 88th minute to get their first shot off. It was from Rémy Cabella. That says enough about their moribund performance of the day. But it should also be noted that the visitors were not helped by the circumstances. Just after having taken the opening goal, they found themselves down to one man. Alexsandro was sent to the locker room for accumulating cards (21e and 40e).
With one man down, Lille could not do much to avoid defeat. Already at 11 against 11, the Dogues were seriously jostled. The start of the game saw them play very deep on the pitch, with a minimum of offensive inclinations. In these conditions, it was not surprising that they were punished. In the 38e minute, Viktor Gyokeres confirmed his reputation as a great goalscorer in the making by scoring with a shot on the turn despite the presence of several Lille players in front of him.
The Dogues did not exist
Sporting did not have to dig deep to open the scoring. Just as they did not have to push too hard to secure the break. In the 65th minutee minute, and at a time when the game had somewhat dropped in intensity, Belgian Zeno Debast woke everyone up with a clear shot from outside the area. Lucas Chevalier could do nothing to neutralize the danger.
Finally, and without ever giving the impression of being able to ensure a positive result, LOSC therefore lost on Portuguese soil. It’s not dramatic, especially since there are still seven matches to play. But, in its next outings, the northern team will have to show something else to be able to hope to play a role other than that of a foil in this new C1.
