Nabil Bentaleb Faces Defeat with Lille Against Real Betis in Champions League Debut
Algerian international Nabil Bentaleb opened his Champions League campaign with Lille on Tuesday, suffering a 3-2 defeat at home against Spanish side Real Betis. The match took place at the Decathlon Arena in Lille, as part of the first round of the group stage in the European competition.
Bentaleb started the match but left the field at the beginning of the second half, specifically in the 46th minute, earning a rating of 7.2 for his performance during the time he played.
Lille took the lead early through striker Ueda in the 12th minute, before defender Marc Bartra equalized for Real Betis in the 33rd minute.
The home side quickly regained their advantage, with defender Ribeiro scoring Lille's second goal in the 36th minute, ending the first half with the French team in front.
However, Real Betis came back strong after the break, with Bartra scoring his second goal to level the match in the 49th minute, before forward Parrot put the visitors ahead in the 53rd minute.
Lille's situation worsened after Ethan Mbappe was sent off in the 55th minute, leaving the home side to finish the match with ten players, resulting in a 3-2 loss for Lille.
So far, Bentaleb has made 3 appearances in Ligue 1, providing one assist and totaling 251 minutes of play, adding a full half in the Champions League.
These repeated appearances indicate positive signs regarding Bentaleb's physical and technical readiness, especially with the international break approaching. He is expected to be part of the national team’s plans during the camp at the end of the month, preparing for the upcoming matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
