Lille Survive Early Brann Pressure in Europa League Opener
Lille, France – LOSC Lille narrowly avoided falling behind early in their Europa League campaign, weathering sustained pressure from Norwegian side Brann Bergen in the opening stages of their Thursday evening clash at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium. The match kicked off at 6:45 p.m. local time, marking Lille’s first European fixture of the season following a disappointing result in the northern derby.
Brann demonstrated early confidence, unimpressed by their French opponents. A risky corner in the opening minutes saw Knudsen’s header go just over the bar, leaving Lille with a “small fright,” according to live updates. Lille struggled to establish possession initially, with Brann controlling the tempo.
Lille began to find their footing, with Haraldsson lifting a ball to Tiago Santos, whose cross was cleared by a Danish head. A promising attack led by Sahraoui resulted in a rushed,missed volley from Igamane. lille’s Tiago Santos, returning from an 11-month injury, showed early promise with a recovery acceleration. A strong challenge from sorensen halted another Santos run.
Lille Starting XI: Ozer – St. Standards, Goffi (17), Mbemba – Bentaleb, Mukau – Pardo, haraldsson, Igamane.
Brann Starting XI: Dyngeland – Pedersen, Knudsen, Helland, Dragsnes – Kornvig, Sorensen, Myhre – Holm, Magnusson, castro.
