• Deprived of its best player and beaten in the first leg, Lille has little chance of reversing the trend on Wednesday against Chelsea in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

  • But Losc, pushed by 49,000 spectators, wants to believe in the impossible and achieve the greatest feat in its history.

Nobody believes it.

When we entered the Losc press room on Tuesday by probing the colleagues on a potential feat for Losc on Wednesday evening against Chelsea in the knockout stages of the Champions League, it was better not to be depressed.

Wry smiles, long sighs or "impossible", in short, no one really believes in a comeback from the reigning French champions after the defeat (2-0) in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.

If the Blues are experiencing extra-sporting problems, Losc does not seem to have the weapons on paper to reverse the trend, especially in the absence of its best player Renato Sanches, injured on Friday in the thigh and forfeited for this match.

It is therefore difficult to get carried away and believe in the greatest feat in the history of the Mastiffs.

But against all odds, Jocelyn Gourvennec wants to keep the faith.

Lille often responds with its back to the wall

“Today, in this press room, I must be the only one who believes in a possible exploit.

It is a factual observation.

We play a competition and a return match where we are given less than a 10% chance of qualifying but in this configuration, Losc always responds, ”assures the Lille coach.

Never better than back to the wall, Lille has often thwarted the odds in recent years, as midfielder Benjamin André recalls: "Last year, we had a crazy championship, we won the title then we won the Trophy champions.

Few people bet on us like in the Champions League and we came out of the pools.

We often answer present when no one is waiting for us so it suits us well.

We are going to put ourselves in a bubble to give the best of ourselves and prove that we are the champions of France.

»

The irrational of the Champions League

Alone against all to believe it, Lille hopes to pack the 49,000 spectators of a Pierre Mauroy stadium which will be sold out for the occasion.

And no matter if Lille has attacking problems, the irrational of the Champions League (hello PSG) can change a lot of things.

“It's an extraordinary competition where often totally unpredictable things happen.

It is a compendium of legend, of emotions, of tragedy, of unpredictable comebacks.

Because it's a special perfume, it should give us more of a chance of getting there, ”says Jocelyn Gourvennec to a press room who is just waiting to eat his hat in the event of a miracle on Wednesday evening at the Pierre Mauroy stadium.

Sport

Chelsea: Without shaking their calves, the blues demand a closed session and anger Middlesbrough

Sport

“100% Lille”: The boredom draw against Saint-Etienne and the expected feat against Chelsea on the menu of our podcast

  • Lille

  • Soccer

  • LOSC

  • Sport

  • chelsea

  • Champions League

  • 0 comment

  • 0 share

    • Share on Messenger

    • Share on Facebook

    • Share on Twitter

    • Share on Flipboard

    • Share on Pinterest

    • Share on Linkedin

    • Send by Mail

  • To safeguard

  • A fault ?

  • To print