Seven defeats and only two draws had been Crvena zvezda’s record in European away matches in France. Throughout history, the Red-and-Whites had failed to secure a win on French soil, but that negative tradition has now come to an end — the Serbian champions defeated Lille 1:0 (1:0) in the first leg of the Europa League Round of 32!
The hero of the victory, at least as the goalscorer, was defender Tebo Učena, who reacted brilliantly in the first minute of first-half stoppage time. Tomas Handel delivered a corner kick, Džej Enem let the ball pass at the near post, and Učena bundled it over the line from just a few meters out.
There is no doubt that this is a major triumph for the Serbian champions. However, the win could have been even more convincing. The Red-and-Whites had three clear-cut chances in the second half, while Lille failed to create a single real scoring opportunity.
Vladimir Lučić should have made it 2:0 in the 50th minute. He made a great run into the penalty area from the left and found himself one-on-one, but a Lille defender managed to catch up and block his shot.
Then, substitute Marko Arnautović received a perfect pass from Nair Tiknizjan in the 67th minute, but Berke Özer saved his sliding effort. The Lille goalkeeper came out on top again in the 86th minute after Arnautović was played through by Katai.
The match began at a high tempo, and as early as the 5th minute Crvena zvezda had a chance when Enem shot wide from the heart of the penalty area. Lille responded midway through the first half through Perraud, but he too was off target.
Still, all the effort by the Belgrade side paid off at the sweetest possible moment. In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Tomas Handel whipped in a sharp corner, and the ball made its way through a “forest” of players straight to Učena — 1:0.
In the second half, it was a true siege of Lille’s goal by the Belgrade team. Lille coach Bruno Génésio attempted to change the course of the match by bringing on experienced Olivier Giroud, while Stanković responded by introducing Marko Arnautović.
Arnautović came closest in the 67th minute, but his shot destined for the inside of the post was spectacularly denied by Berke Özer — as was the case again in the 86th minute, as previously mentioned.
It is worth noting that Lučić received a yellow card late in the match and will miss the return leg, while Seol and Mateus were also booked. In the end, the referee added seven minutes of stoppage time, but the score remained unchanged.
The return leg is next Thursday at 18:45, and the winner of this tie will face either Lyon or Aston Villa.
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Source: , Foto: FK Crvena Zvezda