Lille secured a spot in the Champions League play-offs by overcoming José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, thanks to a Jonathan David penalty in extra time, which clinched a 3-2 aggregate victory in Turkey on Tuesday.
Fenerbahçe had lost the first leg 2-1 the previous week and seemed set to exit until a late own goal by Bafode Diakité sent the match into extra time.
Lille’s Aissa Mandi, making his debut, was sent off for a reckless challenge on Irfan Can Kahveci, but the visitors were awarded a penalty due to a handball by Jayden Oosterwolde. David converted the penalty with precision.
Cenk Tosun hit the bar for Fenerbahçe as Lille held firm to advance to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Slavia Prague or Union Saint-Gilloise.
The elimination marks a disappointing start to Mourinho’s tenure at Fenerbahçe as he aims to lead the club to their first Turkish title since 2014.
Slovan Bratislava, who entered the tournament in the first qualifying round, defeated APOEL Nicosia 2-0 over two legs. They will now play Midtjylland for a spot in the revamped 36-team tournament, following the Danish champions’ 3-1 aggregate win over Hungary’s Ferencvaros.
Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt advanced with a 4-1 win over Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok, finishing with a 5-1 aggregate triumph.
Salzburg narrowly edged FC Twente 5-4 after a 3-3 draw in the return leg in the Netherlands.
Rangers host Dynamo Kyiv with the tie finely poised after a 1-1 draw in Poland last week.
