Lille wants to “go even further”

Paul Rouget, Media365: published on Thursday November 28, 2024 at 8:41 a.m.

Winner 2-1 in Bologna and virtually qualified for the Champions League play-offs, LOSC will not be satisfied with that.

What a series! Undefeated since their defeat in Lisbon against Sporting on September 17, the Mastiffs won 2-1 in Bologna on Wednesday evening for the 5th day of a new first phase of the Champions League in which they occupy 12th place with 10 points, like Monaco (8th) and Brest (11th) but with a worse overall goal difference. A position that would allow them to compete in the play-offs for the round of 16. However, their coach does not yet see him officially qualified.

“I don't know with this new formula. We don't have too much perspective yet even if the statistical calculations are optimistic with 10 points”, reacted Bruno Genesio at a press conference, nevertheless admitting that his team “has taken a step important towards the round of 16. We are in a good position before hosting Sturm Graz. It's up to us to negotiate this match well to be in an even better position and why not consider even better.

“Also the victory of youth”

Before returning to the path of LOSC, who went through two qualifying rounds this summer before creating a surprise by beating the two Madrid clubs. “We know the difficulty of these preliminaries and then there was this complicated draw with this big schedule. Few people would have bet on such a course. But when I look back at the individual and collective evolution of my team, I'm not that surprised. Now, we have to keep moderation, this state of mind and this way of playing to go even further.”

Genesio also praised his young players, like Ayyoub Bouaddi, Matias Fernandez-Pardo or Ngal'ayel Mukau, author of a double even though he had never scored. “It’s also the victory of youth,” underlined the former Lyon coach.