The Lille coach, Bruno Genesio, praised his team’s exceptional performance as they defeated Real Madrid 1-0 on Wednesday, ending the 14-game unbeaten streak of the 15-time European Cup winners in the Champions League.
Lille played with confidence and continuously pressed on, eventually securing a win through a penalty by Jonathan David in the first half stoppage time. This remarkable result marked the first defeat for Carlo Ancelotti’s team in all competitions since January.
Genesio expressed his admiration for his team’s achievement, stating that it was incredible. He also credited the players for believing in the game plan that led to this unexpected outcome. He added, “To achieve such an upset, everything needs to be executed perfectly, including a keeper who makes crucial saves, a striker who scores, and a bit of luck.”
Their keeper, Lucas Chevalier, certainly fulfilled his role by making some stunning saves, especially when Real Madrid put on the pressure towards the end. Despite facing difficulties in the second half, Lille managed to hold their ground and maintain their lead. Genesio revealed that he and his staff had studied Real’s recent game against Atletico Madrid in LaLiga to prepare for this match. He explained, “We noticed that Real tends to cut inside, so we focused on that area and put in more intensity, even if it meant sacrificing possession at times.”
Ancelotti, on the other hand, saw this defeat as a learning opportunity for his team, who had been unbeaten for 36 games in all competitions. He said, “It seems like we have taken a step back from our recent progress. We had a similar experience when we lost to Atletico in January, and it helped us to improve. Hopefully, we can learn from this defeat as well.”
Real Madrid, who are the record 15-time Champions League winners, now have three points after two matches, following their previous win against VfB Stuttgart. Ancelotti admitted that their performance was not up to par in this game, saying, “We did not play well with the ball, and although we were compact in the first half, it was challenging to regain possession and make transitions.”
He added that they tried to be more aggressive, but it was difficult for them. Ancelotti acknowledged that their loss was deserved, and they need to reflect and improve on their performance. He concluded, “We have to approach this with a calm mindset and not throw everything away. However, it is evident that we need to do better.” Real Madrid, who currently stand second in the LaLiga standings with 18 points, will face their next challenge against third-placed Villarreal on Saturday.
