Lille prepares to face Real Betis in the Champions League with a revamped eleven

Davide Ancelotti, LOSC manager, in a press conference: "We are here today because the club did a great job last year and because the team deserves to play in this competition. We want to show that we deserve to be here. I don't know how far we will go, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that we will fight against anyone, on any pitch. Our goal starting tomorrow is to be extremely competitive in this competition until the end. We don't know when that will be, but that's the mindset we're starting with."

(With AFP)

There is Paris Saint-Germain, alone on its own planet. And there is a clear second French representative on the European stage. In the game of UEFA coefficients, which ranks clubs based on 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, hosting Real Betis this Tuesday (9:00 PM), will play in the Champions League for the third time in six seasons, and even the fourth time in the last eight.

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Olivier Giroud will be on the bench at kickoff, with Ayase Ueda starting at the tip of the Les Dogues attack. Having scored after coming on as a substitute against Toulouse on Thursday, the Japanese striker signed from Feyenoord Rotterdam in the final days of the transfer window will make his first start for Lille.

In his 4-2-3-1 formation, Davide Ancelotti has also chosen to start Gaëtan Perrin in the attacking midfield role and shift Håkon Haraldsson to the left wing. Ethan Mbappé will occupy the right flank. In midfield and defense, Ancelotti has named the same players who secured a draw against Paris SG (2-2) a week and a half ago.

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

(With AFP)