Coincidentally, the start of that run saw Red Star beat Lille 1-0 in this season’s UEL league phase, the same score by which they beat tonight’s opponents in last week’s knockout-phase play-off first leg.
The Serbian side were by no means intent on just sitting on their lead, though, and registered the first shot on target less than 90 seconds in, even if it was harmless and easily held by visiting goalkeeper Berke Ozer.
However, the home faithful at Stadion Rajko Mitic were left stunned inside four minutes when Lille captain Benjamin Andre’s pinpoint cross following a throw-in was powered home by 39-year-old Olivier Giroud.
Red Star were unable to mount an impressive response for the rest of the first half, with their passing and touch too often letting them down and Lille comfortably keeping them at bay before the break, with arguably the hosts’ biggest opening in that time coming when Ozer’s risky pass was intercepted on the edge of his own box, but thankfully for the Turk, he was not punished.
At the other end, Giroud wasted an opportunity to double his tally not long before the break as Red Star’s Brazilian stopper Matheus got down low to deny him before twice repelling Matias Fernandez-Pardo before the interval.
Red Star head coach Dejan Stankovic understandably made a double change ahead of the second period, with Marko Arnautovic, the match-winner in November’s league-phase victory over Lille, one of the two players introduced.
The reigning Serbian champions certainly started to look more threatening, but Ozer was only first tested properly in the 78th minute when he pawed away Seol Young-Woo’s strike.
Late on in normal time, Red Star had a chance to win it as Vasilije Kostov charged down the right wing, but when he needed to show some composure, the teenager’s ball across went straight to Ozer.
With nothing to separate the teams across 180 minutes, extra-time ensued, and Lille duly got the goal that proved to be the winner in the 99th minute here when Romain Perraud’s clearance was flicked on by Giroud into the path of Fernandez-Pardo.
The Belgian drove to the byline and cut the ball back to Felix Correia, whose pass into the path of recent substitute Nathan Ngoy was finished with aplomb by the defender.
Rodrigão will feel that he should have blocked the shot, and although Red Star talisman Aleksandar Katai was subsequently thrown on, they could not come back as Arnautovic saw his header saved before Correia was thwarted by Matheus.
The defeat was also the first of the Stankovic era after his appointment in December, while Lille have secured back-to-back wins across all competitions for the first time in more than two months to reignite their season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Benjamin Andre (Lille)