UEFA Europa League, Play-offs, 26/02/2026
It would take extra time for Lille OSC to secure passage into the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 as they came from behind in the tie to defeat Crvena zvezda. A 2-0 win away to the Serbian side might just well be a turning point for a club that has struggled since the start of the new year.
After a disappointing performance in France, Lille were in need of a bright start at the Rajko Mitic Stadium to overturn the narrow deficit. And they duly delivered, as Benjamin André delivered a cross from the right wing to Olivier Giroud at the near post. The all-time France top scorer flicked the ball home to give Lille the lead on the night and level the scores on aggregate.
Lille looked far more convincing than they had done at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, where they struggled to make chances. Matias Fernandez-Pardo had space and the pace to attack behind the backline, but couldn’t test Matheus. His decision-making in the final third remains a weakness, and his shot selection was always straight at the keeper.
Lille’s poor results since the start of 2026 have left the club lacking in confidence, and there were some nerves despite a generally good first-half performance. Berke Özer almost delivered Zvezda a welcome gift when he passed to André despite the captain being well-marked.
Dejan Stanković made changes at half-time with the experienced Marko Arnautović and Miloš Veljković entering the pitch. Zvezda responded and came out with greater purpose. A long throw resulted in Vasilije Kostov’s header at the far post. Özer looked beaten, but the teenager couldn’t direct his effort on target.
The game fell into a lull before a burst of activity in front of the Lille goal. Seol Young-woo drew a save from Özer, which the goalkeeper couldn’t parry to safety. Arnautović kept the ball alive with a pass across the goal, forcing Aïssa Mandi to intervene. Neither side could be separated over the 180 minutes, and so we went to extra time.
Fernandez-Pardo’s roaming run down the left before he slipped a low cross into the box. The winger seemed to overshoot his mark, but Félix Correia was able to turn and pick up the ball. He shifted the ball wide to Nathan Ngoy, who slammed his shot home to give Lille the lead for the first time in the tie.
Arnautović had the best chance of the night for Zvezda when he headed from point-blank, but his effort was straight at Özer. If it had gone either side of the goalkeeper, he would likely have rescued Zvezda’s evening. Still, Lille were finding opportunities as the game stretched.
Correia forced Matheus into an excellent save in the 112th minute. However, an extra goal wasn’t needed. Les Dogues would hold on for a hard-fought win.
Berke Özer, 5
Romain Perraud, 5
Aïssa Mandi, 7
Chancel Mbemba, 6
Tiago Santos, 5
Benjamin André, 8
Captain fantastic. André was the best player on the pitch. He assisted Giroud and then spent the remaining minutes orchestrating Lille’s defence. Despite being 35, his pace and his efforts didn’t drop. This was a leader leading his side to an important victory. And perhaps a turning point in what has been a miserable 2026.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, 6
Matias Fernandez-Pardo, 4
He was at his most frustrating this evening. When he is at full flight, the winger looks like the most exciting player on the pitch. He has this incredible pace to ruin defences, but his decision-making is infuriating. Even in the decisive 2nd goal, it seemed like Fernandez-Pardo missed his mark. It was only fresh legs that recovered the moment.
Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, 5
Gaëtan Perrin, 5
Olivier Giroud 6
After four minutes, one wondered whether we were going to see a vintage Giroud performance. It didn’t really happen; he wasn’t bad, but he was once again isolated.
Matheus, 4
Jay Enem, 3
Mark Arnautović, 4
