At 3:00 am on August 21st, Lille will host Slavia Prague in the first leg of the Champions League play-offs. Lille bears the responsibility of defending Ligue 1’s honor, while Slavia Prague’s potential to upset the odds is also attracting attention.
In the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season, Lille finished 4th with 59 points (16 wins, 11 draws, 7 losses), securing a Champions League spot. In the previous Champions League third qualifying round, Lille, after a hard-fought battle that went into extra time, defeated Fenerbahçe 3-2 on aggregate to qualify. Lille has twice reached the Round of 16 in the Champions League, in the 2006-07 and 2021-22 seasons, marking the club’s best ever performance in the competition. The new Ligue 1 season has kicked off, and Lille started with a 2-0 victory over Lens.
So far this season, three Lille players have found the back of the net, with David scoring 2 goals, and Edon Zhegrova and Bafodé Diakité each scoring 1 goal.
In the 2023-24 Czech First League, Slavia Prague finished as runners-up with 85 points (26 wins, 7 draws, 2 losses), earning a Champions League spot. In the Champions League third qualifying round, Slavia Prague defeated Sint-Truiden 4-1 on aggregate to qualify. In the new Czech First League season, Slavia Prague currently sits 3rd with 13 points (4 wins, 1 draw), showing good form. Slavia Prague had previously reached the Champions League group stage in the 2007-08 and 2019-20 seasons, but failed to qualify in both instances, making it the club’s best performance in the competition.
In the Slavia Prague squad, four players have scored two goals each so far this season, including Jiri, Vaclav Jurecka, Oscar Dorley, and EI Hadji Malick Diouf.
For this match, Lille will be without Umtiti, Benarbia, and Angel Gomes due to injury; Slavia Prague will be without Zimzli, Stancik, and Vilsek due to injury.
The two teams have only met twice in history, with Lille winning both matches. In their only previous encounter at Lille’s home ground, Lille defeated their opponents 3-1.
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