Underdog of the Day - 🐶 Lille FC

What to know: When Lille lost its opening Champions League match in September, the soccer world turned its back on the French club. Sure, they have been struggling a little bit in their own league back in France, as they currently sit 5th in the Ligue 1 table. The squad from the north of France defied all odds by concluding the league phase of the UCL with a 6-1 blowout of Feyenoord yesterday.

You can’t say that they’ve had an easy path either, as they’ve defeated Spanish super clubs Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, Italian club Bologna, Austrian powerhouse Sturm Graz, and pulled off a draw with Juventus. Their only losses came to Sporting (that first match in September) and Liverpool.

Lille holds the 7th seed in the playoffs and will wait to see who their opponent will be after the knockouts. For now, the underdogs will enjoy their time off, celebrate, and maybe even brag a little. They’re the only French club to receive a bye into the round of 16, as Brest, PSG, and Monaco all must survive the knockout stage to advance and represent France.

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