Holders Real Madrid Stunned by Lille in Champions League Upset

Real Madrid suffered their first Champions League defeat since May 2023 as Lille secured a surprising 1-0 victory at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium. This loss also marked the end of Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s 36-match unbeaten run across all competitions, dating back to their Copa del Rey defeat against Atletico Madrid on January 18.Holders Real Madrid Stunned by Lille in Champions League Upset

The decisive moment came when Jonathan David converted a penalty following a VAR review, which determined that Real’s Eduardo Camavinga had blocked Edon Zhegrova’s free-kick with his arm. David’s goal proved to be the difference in a match where Lille were impressive throughout.

Lille’s goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin, was called into action early, making a superb double save to deny David before the Canadian international’s successful spot-kick. The French side’s performance was a marked improvement from their 2-0 loss to Sporting in their opening group game.

Real Madrid’s lineup featured 18-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick, who became the youngest-ever starter for the club in the Champions League. However, both Endrick and England midfielder Jude Bellingham struggled to make an impact on the game.

The Spanish giants introduced Kylian Mbappe, returning from a thigh injury, just before the hour mark in an attempt to salvage the match. A late surge from Real saw Antonio Rudiger’s header cleared off the line, and Arda Guler headed a clear opportunity straight at Lille’s goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.

This result comes as a setback for Real Madrid, who had started their Champions League campaign with a win against Stuttgart. They will now look to bounce back when they host Borussia Dortmund in a rematch of last season’s final. Lille, buoyed by this historic victory, will travel to face Atletico Madrid in their next group-stage fixture.