Champions League Preview: Sporting Lisbon vs. Lille

Manager Bruno Génésio will be leading LOSC into the league phase of the UEFA Champions League tonight as Les Dogues make their return to Europe's premiere competition for the 2021-2022 season. They will be facing Liga Portugal club Sporting Club de Portugal away from home (21:00 CET).

It will be Lille's third encounter in European competition against the Portuguese club, but the first time ever that the two sides face each other in the UEFA Champions League. It will be a tough test for Les Dogues, as Ruben Amorim's Sporting have been firing on all cylinders since the start of the season. 

Under Amorin, the Lisbon-based side have progressed to the knockout stages of European competition in the last three seasons. They have also started the season with a flawless record in the league, already five points clear of the Liga Portugal - scoring 19 goals and just conceding two in the process. Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres has been in incredible form for his side, having recently scored his 50th goal in only 55 appearances for the club.

"I think every footballer dreams of playing in the Champions League,"’ Gyokeres explained before the match. "We're really looking forward to the game against Lille. We're very excited. Our aim is to win, no matter who we play. That's also the case in the Champions League. We'll be looking to win and see how far that can take us."

Lille left-back Tiago Santos went through the Sporting academy, so it'll be a special way to make his first UEFA Champions League proper appearance against his former side. "It was a part of my journey, I'm grateful for Sporting but we went our separate ways in the end. But to play the first match in Lisbon will be very special - we just have to win the game."

Lille will be going into the game having lost their previous two matches against Paris Saint-Germain (1-3) and Saint-Étienne (1-0) in Ligue 1 as they make a European return after they managed to reach the Europa Conference League quarter-finals last season. They will need a positive result against Sporting, before they face Spanish giants Real Madrid in the second gameweek later this month.

Sporting Club de Portugal: Franco; Debast, Diomande, Inacio; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Catamo; Trincao, Goncalves; Gyokeres.

LOSC Lille: Chevalier; Meunier, Mandi, Diakite; Santos, Andre, Gomes, Gudmundsson; Zhegrova, Cabella; David.

Read More: UEFA Champions League: Lille's Portuguese connection