LOSC beats José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe in extra time to qualify for play-offs

Having won 2-1 in the first leg, Lille maintained their lead in the return match, on Fenerbahçe’s Istanbul pitch on Tuesday.

Another step to take. To qualify for the next Champions League, LOSC (4th in Ligue 1 last season) knew that the road would be long. Good news: the Dogues have already covered half the distance by eliminating Fenerbahçe, Tuesday August 13, in the third preliminary round of the competition.

After their first leg success (2-1), Lille had to wait until extra time to get a draw (1-1) against the second-placed team in the last Turkish championship, which meant qualification. To play in the queen of European competitions, LOSC will have to win a two-legged play-off against the winner of the match between Slavia Prague and Union Saint-Gilloise. The first leg will take place on 20 or 21 August in Lille, before the return leg the following week, away.

A week after relocating its reception of Fenerbahçe to Valenciennes, its Pierre-Mauroy stadium having been requisitioned for the Olympic Games, LOSC had to face the heat of the stadium Sükrü Saraçoglu, where 47,000 Turks put pressure on the Dogues. But the latter came as bosses on the Istanbul pitch, and controlled the debates almost all evening, before fate chose to play a coin toss.

Because, after being saved by their post on a volley from Bright Osayi-Samuel (82nd), the Northerners conceded the opening goal on an own goal from Bafodé Diakité, very unfortunate at the end of a long opposing throw-in (0-1, 90+1st). A gag goal, synonymous with extra time. Saved on multiple occasions by Lucas Chevalier, once again imperial in his goal, LOSC then headed towards the unknown, head down and heavy legs.

But the pressure was definitely on the shoulders of the locals, deprived of the ball in front of their fans, and who have not played in the Champions League for fifteen years. A drought that José Mourinho, appointed coach this summer, was supposed to put an end to. The “Special One” probably believed in it during extra time, while Lille were suffering the physical blow, and saw themselves reduced to ten after the expulsion of Aïssa Mandi (109th).

While he seemed to be going after Lille, fate turned once again by offering a rather generous penalty to Lille, on a shot from Jonathan David, blocked by the hand of Jayden Oosterwolde, off balance. The Canadian striker of LOSC did not tremble to convert the offering (1-1, 118th) and thus send his team to the Champions League play-off. Not without a final scare, since Cenk Tosun placed a header on the bar in the last seconds. But the essential is assured for LOSC.