Davide Ancelotti’s Lille has made a strong start to the 2026-27 Ligue 1 season and, after three matches, provisionally sits top of the table with seven points. The French side confirmed its encouraging opening with a 1-0 away victory over Toulouse, moving into first place before the rest of Matchday 3 is completed. Ancelotti, appointed in June on a two-year contract, is therefore enjoying a positive start to his first season in France.
Davide Ancelotti’s Lille sits top and now awaits Real Betis
Davide Ancelotti’s team provisionally leads Ligue 1 after collecting seven points from a possible nine. Following its victory over Toulouse, Lille now turns its attention to a UEFA Champions League opener against Real Betis.
The game at the Stadium de Toulouse was demanding for Lille, particularly during the first half. Toulouse pressed aggressively and created several opportunities, but goalkeeper Berke Özer kept Ancelotti’s team level with a series of important saves. The match remained scoreless until the 73rd minute, when one of the club’s newest signings made the difference.
Ayase Ueda, who joined from Feyenoord on August 31, came on in place of Olivier Giroud and scored the only goal of the match in the 73rd minute, just 15 minutes after entering the field.
Seven points from nine for Ancelotti
There are concrete reasons for optimism after the opening three league games. Lille began with a 2-0 away win against Angers, with goals from Olivier Giroud and Tiago Santos. On Matchday 2, it came extremely close to beating reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain. Lille led 2-0 before late goals from Vitinha and Marquinhos rescued a 2-2 draw for PSG.
Those two wins and one draw have given Ancelotti’s team seven points from a possible nine and the provisional Ligue 1 lead. Monaco, on six points from two games, still has its Matchday 3 fixture to play.
Real Betis awaits in the Champions League
The next challenge comes in Europe. Lille will open its 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league-phase campaign against Real Betis on Tuesday, September 8 at the Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre Mauroy. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Central European Time.
It will be Ancelotti’s first official European match in charge of Lille, only five days after the demanding trip to Toulouse. Unbeaten in league play and with Ueda making an immediate scoring impact, the provisional leader in France now shifts its attention from the domestic title race to its first major continental test of the season.
