LOSC got their Europa League campaign off to a superb start as Yusuf Yazici bagged a first senior hat-trick in the 4-1 win away to ten-man Sparta Prague, while OGC Nice were on the opposite end of a 6-2 scoreline away to Bayer Leverkusen.
It was party time in Lille last night as Christophe Galtier's Dogues clinched a potentially decisive 4-1 win away to Sparta Prague, racing right to the top of the standings in a tough group that also features AC Milan and Celtic.
The LOSC boss opted to hand the game time around, with Yazici, Jonathan Ikoné and Xeka starting, and after young Sparta defender Ladislav Krejci received a harsh red card for dragging Jonathan David back just outside the area early on, it was turkey forward Yazici who stepped up with a stunning opener from 20 metres out.
Galtier: 'It augurs well'
"The team played well and scored some nice goals," said Galtier after Yazici completed his hat-trick, with Ikoné also lashing one home for the side's first win in an incredible 18 European outings. "I'm happy, but there were times in the game when we were looking for a second wind. We managed to win, so that creates a good group dynamic. It was very important to start with a victory, and it augurs well."
LOSC now get set to play host to Celtic next Thursday in a match that could see them remain in pole position ahead of a decisive double-header against an AC Milan on the rise following the return of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Aiglons' wings clipped
Meanwhile Nice's return to European action was a far less joyful affair, Patrick Vieira's side coming unstuck in the worst of ways as they got on the wrong end of a 6-3 hiding away to bayer Leverkusen.
Although Amine Gouiri and Alexis Claude-Maurice managed to notch two goals for Les Aiglons, most of the match consisted of Leverkusen putting a hectic pace on Nice and splitting their defence time and time again.
Vieira: 'We lost to a stronger side'
"The first 15 minutes were complicated, but we came back to 1-2 [thanks to Gouiri]. The start of the second half was promising; we pushed and tried to put them in danger," explained Vieira. "Their third goal hurt us psychologically and we fell apart a bit. We lost to a stronger side but the scoreline is still very severe. What we have to take away from this match is the intensity that this Leverkusen team is capable of putting in. We have to learn from that to progress in the future."
Starting on Sunday evening, when Vieira's side take on league leaders LOSC - doubtless brimming with confidence - in front of the Nice faithful at the Allianz Riviera (17:00 CET).
(Photo: OGC Nice)