Kylian Mbappe was a shadow of his best self in Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to LOSC Lille on Wednesday. However, his brother Ethan didn’t seem to mind, leading the Ligue 1 side’s dressing room celebrations in style.
Ethan Mbappe was injured for the game, and watched on from the stands as the 15-time European Champions suffered their first defeat in the Champions League in 14 games.
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After the full-time whistle, the LOSC players gathered in the dressing room, where Ethan, in high spirits, asked the team to gather around a table. He began tapping it gently at first, then sped up, and soon his teammates joined in, euphoric after achieving one of the biggest wins of their careers.
Kylian Mbappe, returning from a minor injury, was brought on at half-time to provide Real Madrid with a much-needed boost in attack. However, the 25-year-old struggled to make an impact. While LOSC Lille did well to keep him contained, Mbappe also made too many mistakes throughout the game.
Wednesday night at the Stade Pierre Mauroy was no stroke of luck for LOSC Lille. They won deservedly, though one could argue Real Madrid’s performance was woeful.
From the outset, Real’s players looked demotivated and sloppy—tired, at the very least. Dani Carvajal, typically exemplary for Madrid over the past year, misplaced several passes, and Ballon d’Or candidate Vinicius Junior failed to show any of his usual spark.
A handball by Eduardo Camavinga in the box gifted LOSC Lille a penalty, which Canadian striker Jonathan David calmly converted. The Real Madrid players headed into the tunnel at half-time, trailing 1-0.
Defeat in Lille.#UCL
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 2, 2024
Many expected them to bounce back in the second half, but their sloppiness only worsened. It wasn’t until the 85th minute that Madrid showed any signs of life. Chances came, but they didn’t fall to Vinicius or Mbappe. Instead, Antonio Rudiger, Jude Bellingham, and Arda Güler found themselves scrapping inside the box and came close to equalizing.
Lille’s goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, however, dealt with every shot and header flawlessly.
