The weather made the call before the coaches did
It is going to pour in the north on Tuesday. A lot.
So Lille have moved early. The roof at Stade Pierre-Mauroy will be closed for the visit of Real Betis, in the opening game of their Champions League league phase. The news comes from Spanish outlet Zona Mixta.
The rules require the opponent to agree. The Andalusians have said yes. Kick-off is Tuesday at 21h00.
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An edge by any other name
Closing a roof is not a bit of admin. It changes the feel of the whole match.
Dry pitch, ball skidding less, players getting better purchase underfoot. Suddenly the pass-and-move game is on where a sodden surface would have forced long balls and scrapping for seconds. The noise changes too. Under cover, the crowd’s sound bounces back onto the pitch and turns 50,000 fans into a wall.
Pierre-Mauroy is one of the few stadiums in Europe that can do it. Lille rarely use it. They are using it for their biggest game of the season.
The Dogs are up and running
The football picture is decent enough, too. Lille have started their Ligue 1 campaign with seven points from nine, including a 1-0 win over Toulouse last Thursday.
The stats models are not exactly handing the Dogs a warm welcome in this league phase. Opta have them down near the bottom, with less than a one-in-two shot of making it through after the eight-match slog.
All the more reason to grab the first three points. Under a closed roof, on a pitch fit for a snooker hall, with a crowd that won’t need their hoods up.
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