Despite a still sluggish match, Lille provided the essentials by overthrowing Rijeka (2-1) at home during the first leg of the Europa League Conference on Thursday. LOSC took a short advantage before the return leg next Thursday (8:15 p.m.) in a completely different atmosphere in Rijeka, a port city in Croatia. Driven by the encouragement of the ultra Dogues Virage Est, the Lille players got closer to the “European Cup objective” displayed in large on a banner before kick-off, thanks to a goal at the very end of the match from their young defender (17 years old) Leny Yoro (89th).
They nevertheless conceded the opener because of two individual errors in defense: badly placed, Aleksandro missed his intervention, while Gabriel Gudmundsson, wait-and-see, let Marco Pasalic go. The latter then scored with a magnificent dive over Lucas Chevalier (24th), throwing a chill in the bays of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with the roof closed due to storms.
These defensive shortcomings have penalized LOSC since the start of the season. Against Nantes last Sunday, Aleksandro was sent off, leaving his partners outnumbered for about twenty minutes. A few seconds earlier, the stirring Lille right winger Edon Zhegrova had however had a great opportunity offered by the Croatian goalkeeper Nedijiko Labrovic, author of a failed recovery.
Ineffective at that time of the match, Zhegrova caught up just before half-time, equalizing with a cross shot from the left at ground level (43rd). It was the main thing for the players of Paulo Fonseca, who still lacked an offensive binder during the game. They still combined and showed more creativity afterwards, without being particularly dangerous. Until, therefore, a beautiful crossed header from Leny Yoro, at the reception of a cross from a summer rookie of the Mastiffs, Yvan Cavaleiro. Still too feverish in defense, Lille almost ruined everything in added time, but their goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved them by making a crucial double save.