Under the lights at the Emirates Stadium, Lille will hand an 18-year-old from Villeneuve-d’Ascq the biggest start of his young career when they face Arsenal on Tuesday night at 21:00.
The Ligue 1 news
Davide Ancelotti has selected Maxima Goffi from the outset for Lille’s Champions League trip to London, with the French defender set to make his first start in the competition.
Goffi, a centre-back by trade who was developed in the north of France, will operate at right-back. His opportunity follows Tiago Santos’ serious knee injury, which has ruled the Portuguese player out of the fixture.
The teenager had only recently entered Lille’s first-team picture. He was included in the matchday group for the first time this season against Le Havre and came off the bench three days later. He has made four senior appearances for Les Dogues: two in Ligue 1, one in the Europa League and one in the Coupe de France.
Ancelotti has kept faith with Ayase Ueda as his central striker in a 4-2-3-1 system, leaving Olivier Giroud among the alternatives. Ngal’ayel Mukau also starts, with Gaëtan Perrin missing out, while Hakon Haraldsson returns to the XI after beginning the Le Havre match on the bench before appearing around the hour mark.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has named former Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in his starting side. He will form part of a three-man midfield alongside Mikel Merino and Declan Rice, who wears the captain’s armband with Martin Ödegaard beginning on the bench.
