Lille secured a spot in the Champions League play-offs, eliminating Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce with a dramatic 3-2 aggregate victory in Turkey. Jonathan David’s extra-time penalty sealed the win for Lille on Tuesday.
Fenerbahce, who lost the first leg 2-1 last week, seemed poised for elimination until Bafode Diakite’s late own goal sent the match into extra time. Lille substitute Aissa Mandi, debuting, received a red card for recklessly challenging Irfan Can Kahveci. Despite this, the referee awarded a penalty to Lille after Jayden Oosterwolde’s handball, and Jonathan David successfully converted the spot-kick.
Cenk Tosun came close to equalizing by heading against the bar, but Lille held on to advance to the final qualifying round, where they will face Slavia Prague, who defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 4-1 on aggregate.
Fenerbahce’s exit marks a disappointing start to Mourinho’s tenure as he aims to lead the club to its first Turkish title since 2014.
In other matches, Slovan Bratislava secured a 2-0 aggregate win over APOEL Nicosia. They will face Midtjylland, who defeated Hungary’s Ferencvaros 3-1 overall, competing for a spot in the new-look, 36-team tournament. Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt advanced with a 4-1 victory over Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok, completing a 5-1 aggregate triumph. Salzburg edged FC Twente 5-4 after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the return leg in the Netherlands.
Elsewhere, 10-man Rangers lost 2-0 to Dynamo Kyiv at home after a 1-1 draw in Poland last week, resulting in their exit from the competition alongside FCSB, who were narrowly beaten by Sparta Prague 4-3 on aggregate.
In the wildest match of the round, Qarabag defeated Ludogorets 7-2. After forcing extra time with a 3-2 lead, Qarabag added four more goals in extra time to advance to the final qualifying round.
