19 October 2021, 09:47 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
Lille OSC will aim for their first three points in the UEFA Champions League when they take on Sevilla at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Wednesday, October 20 at 20:00 (GMT+1). An English-speaking crew of match officials, led by Premier League’s Michael Oliver will be in Lille. Assistant referees Stuart Burt (ENG) and Simon Bennett (ENG) will offer a helping hand while Stuart Attwell (ENG) will be in the VAR room.
Preview Lille Champions League, Oct 20, 2021
Preview Lille OSC returns to UEFA Champions League action following a 1-0 defeat to Ligue 1 newcomers, Clermont Foot 63, in the French domestic league. Following Matchday 2’s defeat to RB Salzburg, Lille are left at the bottom of the group table with only one point after 0W, 1D, & 1L. With the weekend’s defeat to Clermont, the French outfit has only three victories in five games: WWLWL. The French champions are without a win and have lost five of their last seven games on home soil while playing on continental grounds in the UEFA Champions League group stage (0W, D2, 5L). On Wednesday, Jocelyn Gourvennec will hope to improve on those numbers. An attacking 4—2—3—1 formation with Burak Yilmaz or Jonathan David leading the attack may be seen. Burak Yilmaz failed to feature in Lille’s 1-0 defeat over the weekend but is expected to make the cut for UCL Matchday 3. Renato Sanches could be making his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League this season, having started from the get-go against Clermont Foot over the weekend.
Preview Sevilla Champions League, Oct 20, 2021
Preview Rafa Mir (54’) helped Sevilla to a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo over the weekend in the Spanish LaLiga Santander. The Spanish outfit are in second place in Group G, with 2 points, despite being on par with Wolfsburg after picking up two draws in a row: 0W, 2D, & 0L. Speaking about form, Sevilla has three victories in five games across all competitions: WWDLW. - The draw being Matchday 2’s 1-1 draw against Wolfsburg which saw Ivan Rakitić (87’ P.) restore parity from the penalty spot with minutes left on the clock. Sevilla remains unbeaten in four matches against French opposition, home and away (W3 D1). And on Wednesday, Julen Lopetegui will aim to keep the unbeaten record intact at the end of UCL Matchday 3. An attacking 4—2—3—1 or 4—3—3 formation with Rafa Mir at the center of the attack is expected against Lille. Youssef En-Nesyri has failed to feature since scoring in a 2-0 home win against Espanyol in late September due to a hamstring problem. His availability for Wednesday’s game remains in doubt.