UEFA Europa League, Matchday 8, 29/01/2026
Lille OSC registered a narrow victory at home to SC Freiburg courtesy of substitute Oliver Giroud’s last-minute penalty to secure their spot in the UEFA Europa League playoffs.
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The Match
The big story ahead of kickoff was Bruno Génésio’s decision to drop Giroud from the starting lineup. The all-time top scorer for France has been an ever-present this season, despite a disappointing return. The result was a far more mobile-looking Lille side, with Matias Fernandez-Pardo leading the line.
Freiburg didn’t need to win, while a victory for Lille would confirm their place in the playoffs. These contrasting situations defined the opening exchanges, with Freiburg penned into their own half, while Lille fizzed around the final third, looking threatening without ever threatening.
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Hákon Arnar Haraldsson’s shot from distance in the 21st minute would prove to be the only shot for either side in a half that lacked action. The Icelandic international was able to drift into a pocket of space and squeeze his shot through the black shirts, but it would be dragged wide and safely out of play.
Signs of life began to poke through in the second half. Junior Adamu almost capitalised on a mistake by Nathan Ngoy, but the centre-back was able to recover, picking the ball off Adamu’s foot before he could release his shot. The Freiburg striker had another chance off a fast break; this time, he was able to get the shot off, but it was hit wildly off-target.
Fernandez-Pardo threatened down the other end when he was released by Haraldsson into a one-on-one with Noah Atubolu. He went to chip the goalkeeper, but his intentions were easily read and caught. Ngal’ayel Mukau was the next to test Atubolu, firing off a shot from a packed box. However, the effort went straight to Atubolu.
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Lille would be given a helping hand when Maximilian Eggestein went too high on a challenge on Fernandez-Pardo. It was an easy decision for the referee as he flashed the straight red card to the Freiburg midfielder. It would take until injury time for them to exploit the advantage, as Fernandez-Pardo was brought down in the box by Cyriaque Irié. The substitute Giroud stepped up to the spot and, with seconds to go, blasted the shot into the top right corner to secure Lille’s qualification to the playoffs.
Lille Player Ratings
Berke Özer, 5
Calvin Verdonk, 5
Aïssa Mandi, 5
Nathan Ngoy, 4
Tiago Santos, 4
It often feels like the fullback is on a completely different page from his teammates. He looked lively on the right, but could never link up and build with his teammates. His best moments were always when he was isolated, but when he tried to combine with the other red shirts, it all fell apart.
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Félix Correia, 5
Benjamin André, 6
A welcome return to the captain. The midfielder helped make Lille feel a far more stable outfit than what we’ve seen in their past two matches. He provided the base to which his teammates could control the ball in Freiburg’s half and snuffed out counters when they appeared.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, 5
Ngal’ayel Mukau, 6
Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, 6
Matias Fernandez-Pardo, 5
Lille’s prodigal son was given a chance to lead the line tonight. He had a couple of chances, but seemed to wilt under the spotlight rather than embrace the opportunity. He often seemed to make the wrong decision, in particular, his attempt to chip Atubolu when one-on-one was disappointing. However, saved his evening when he set up the last-minute penalty.
Freiburg Selected Player Ratings
Noah Atubolu, 6
Bruno Ogbus, 6
Maximilian Eggestein, 3
Junior Adamu, 4
GFFN | Nick Hartland
