Europa League: Mavuba Admits Lille Are in a “Tough Spot” After Crushing Defeat to Everton
LOSC Lille’s Europa League campaign suffered a major setback on Thursday night as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Everton at Goodison Park. The result leaves Lille’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds hanging by a thread, with only two group matches remaining.
Captain Rio Mavuba, visibly frustrated after the match, acknowledged the harsh reality his team is facing:
“It’s a bad evening. We’ve taken a real slap in the face,” said the 30-year-old midfielder. “We came up against a team that was clearly better than us. And if it weren’t for Vincent [Enyeama], the score could have been worse.”
The defeat leaves Lille five points behind Everton and four behind Wolfsburg, who currently occupy the top two qualifying spots in the group. Mavuba stressed that the team must now rely on others slipping up — and win away in Krasnodar — to keep their hopes alive heading into the final group stage match.
“Right now, we’re in a tough spot. We’re not going to hide. We’re struggling both in attack and defense — we’re not scoring, and we’re conceding too many goals. It’s really a team effort, and we all have to dig deep.”
Sitting 12th in Ligue 1, Lille now turns its attention back to domestic action, with a crucial match away at Reims on Sunday evening — an opportunity to bounce back and restore some much-needed confidence.
