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Real Madrid joined rivals Barcelona as having lost to French opposition in the Champions League this season, after falling to Lille.
Real Madrid were expected to romp Lille, given the sheer gulf in quality, but the French side made a great account of themselves, beating Los Blancos 1-0.
While they managed to get past Stuttgart on matchday one, they were far from the dominant monolith that won the competition last season, and there were signs they could be beaten. Lille set up an excellent game plan and exploited Los Blancos' weaknesses and thanks to a Jonathan David penalty just before half-time, beat them 1-0.
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key match details
Real Madrid’s chances were boosted by the return of Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga, The former was only fit enough to make the bench, while the latter occupied the left side of Ancelotti’s midfield diamond.
The Los Blancos had a purposeful start to the evening and began to threaten early on. The first true scoring opportunity emerged just five minutes in, as Jude Bellingham's relentless pressing yielded possession for Vinícius Junior, whose potent strike was parried by Lucas Chevalier.
Lille reciprocated with interest, and Jonathan David's double threat forced Andriy Lunin into an astonishing double save.
The hosts continued to press, and Benjamin Andre's errant cross nearly caught Lunin off guard, grazing the crossbar before sailing to safety. However, Real's fortune expired on the cusp of halftime when Edon Zhegrova's free-kick was handled by Eduardo Camavinga inside the area.
Jonathan David seized the initiative from the spot, outsmarting Lunin with a precise penalty to give Lille the lead.
The second half witnessed a continuation of Lille's dominance, forcing Carlo Ancelotti to respond by introducing Kylian Mbappe, but the substitution failed to alter the momentum, with the barely fit Frenchman failing to shine against familiar opposition.
Real's attacking woes persisted, but later in the game they looked threatening. Arda Guler's header was redirected goalward by Jude Bellingham, only to be cleared off the line by Tiago Santos. Ju
In the dying embers, Luka Modric found The Turkish youngster unmarked in the box, but Lucas Chevalier's outstretched leg ensured Lille secured a pivotal three points.
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