Jonathan David scored the decisive goal in first half stoppage time to lead Lille to a stunning 1-0 victory over defending champions Real Madrid in matchday two in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
The Canada international converted a penalty inside the Stade Pierre-Mauroy after VAR awarded a spot kick to the French side following a handball from Eduardo Camavinga.
Lille beat Real Madrid 🔴#UCL pic.twitter.com/5o6xX6tt9S
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 2, 2024
The hosts effectively contained Los Blancos in the early stages, with the visitors’ best opportunity coming from an Endrick shot that was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
The Mastiffs should have taken the lead in the 27th minute when David had a golden chance to score but his header at the back post was kept out by goalkeeper Andrey Lunin. After the initial save, David pounced on the rebound but was denied once again by the Ukrainian shot-stopper’s quick reflexes.
However, the Canadian’s persistence paid off just before halftime when a handball by Camavinga in the box led to a penalty. David confidently stepped up to take the spot-kick, sending Lunin the wrong way to give Lille a well-deserved lead in the tie as he registered his eighth goal in all competitions this season.
In the second half, Lille focused on defending their hard-earned advantage, ceding possession to Madrid, who brought on the cavalry in attempt to turn the game around. Despite relentless pressure from the visitors, Chevalier was in outstanding form, making numerous key saves to deny close-range headers from Antonio Rudiger and Arda Güler.
The defeat snapped Madrid’s impressive 36-match unbeaten streak across all competitions and marked their first loss in the competition since May 2023 when they lost 4-0 to Manchester City.
Lille’s resolute performance earned them their first three points of the competition, following their opening day defeat in the hands of Sporting Lisbon. The victory places them in 18th position in the standings, a spot directly behind Madrid.
