Champions League: LOSC ready to fight against Real Betis

Davide Ancelotti, Losc coach, at a press conference: “We are here today because the club did a lot of work last year and because the team deserves to compete in this competition. We want to show that we deserve to be there. I don't know how far we're going to go, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that we're going to fight anyone, on any terrain. The objective we have from tomorrow is to be extremely competitive in this competition until the end. We don’t know when it will be, but that’s the mentality we’re starting with.”

There is Paris Saint-Germain, alone on its planet. And there is a clear second French representative on the European scene. In the game of the UEFA coefficient, which ranks clubs according to their results over the last five years, Lille is 28th, far ahead of Lyon (45th) while Monaco and Marseille are outside the top 50. The northern club, which hosts Real Betis this Tuesday (9 p.m.), will compete in the Champions League for the third time in six seasons, and even the fourth time in the last eight.

Olivier Giroud will be a substitute at kick-off, and Ayase Ueda will start at the forefront of the Mastiff attack. Scorer after coming into play against Toulouse on Thursday, the Japanese striker recruited from Feyenoord Rotterdam in the last days of the transfer window will experience his first start with Lille.

In his 4-2-3-1, Davide Ancelotti also chose to start Gaëtan Perrin as an attacking midfielder and shift Hakon Haraldsson to the left side. Ethan Mbappé will occupy the right flank. In the middle and in defense, Ancelotti brought back the same elements who had won the draw against Paris SG (2-2), a week and a half ago.

The Losc XI: Ozer - Tiago Santos, Ngoy, Alexsandro, Perraud - Bentaleb, André (cap) - E. Mbappé, Perrin, Haraldsson - Ueda.