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On Thursday night, Lille will host HNK Rijeka at the Stade Pierre-Mauro when the two teams square off in the first leg of their Europa Conference League playoff.
The hosts recently overcame Nantes 2-0 in Ligue 1, while the guests defeated NK Lokomotiva 2-1 to maintain their impressive start to the new season.
Lille had to wait until the 66th minute against Nantes last weekend to score, despite controlling huge portions of the game. Lille's ace striker Jonathan David broke the score.
After Brazilian center-back Alexsandro received a red card, Adam Onuas, who had been on the bench, came on to double Lille's lead and end the game.
Les Dogues are still unbeaten in 2023–24 after a win and a 1–1 draw with Nice in the first weekend of the Ligue 1 season, earning four out of a possible six points.
Additionally, Paulo Fonseca's team had a string of successful preseason performances, winning three straight games against Dunkerque, Cercle Brugge, and Le Havre before holding Brentford to a scoreless tie in London.
After competing for a spot in the Champions League in two of the previous four seasons, the Ligue 1 champions for 2020–21 are currently in the competition.
By placing fourth in the Croatian 1. HNL last season, Rijeka earned a spot in the Europa Conference League qualification round, marking their 11th straight top-four finish.
To get to the playoffs, Sergej Jakirovic's team had to pass two qualifying rounds, but it's safe to say that Lille will be their toughest challenge yet.
Rijeka defeated B36 Torshavn in the previous round, winning the match 5-1 on aggregate after registering a convincing 7-1 aggregate win over Kosovan team Dukagjini in the second qualifying round.
They have now won seven of their eight games this season in all competitions after last weekend's success over NK Lokomotiva, scoring at least two goals in each of those victories.
As the defense tandem continues to recover from injuries, Lille will have to make due without Samuel Umtiti and Tiago Djalo for the foreseeable future.
Jonathan David, the lone striker for the home team, will continue to lead the line after scoring 26 goals in 40 games last season, with former Newcastle United playmaker Remy Cabella providing attacking support.
Additionally, England Angel Gomes, a player under 21, and Benjamin Andre are anticipated to work in the backfield, allowing Edon Zhegrova and Hakon Arnar Haraldsson to move up front.
Prior to the first leg, Rijeka, on the other hand, had no injury concerns. Additionally, the roster has been bolstered by the recent addition of midfielder Marco Pasalic, an ex-player of Borussia Dortmund.
Pasalic would benefit if Sergej Jakirovic continued to use his preferred 4-2-3-1 system.
