Nigerian defender Franklin Tebo Uchenna scored the decisive goal as Crvena zvezda secured a 1-0 victory over Lille OSC in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off tie on Thursday.
The centre-back bundled home in first-half stoppage time at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium, converting from close range after Tomás Händel’s corner travelled through a crowded penalty area to hand the Serbian side a valuable advantage.
The visitors had earlier threatened inside five minutes when Jay Enem fired narrowly wide, but Lille gradually settled and created chances of their own. Romain Perraud saw an acrobatic effort saved by Matheus, while Hákon Haraldsson’s long-range attempt flew over.
Uchenna in action against Lille. Photo Credit: Imago
Despite Lille’s pressure, the breakthrough came at the other end, with Uchenna’s finish marking only Crvena zvezda’s third first-half goal of their Europa League campaign.
Lille struggled to mount a meaningful response after the interval and were indebted to goalkeeper Berke Özer for keeping the deficit at one. He denied substitute Marko Arnautović from close range shortly after the Austrian forward’s introduction.
The French side dominated possession late on but lacked cutting edge, forcing Matheus into a significant save only in the 80th minute when Perraud tested him from distance.
The result ended Lille’s run of scoring in 19 consecutive European matches and extended their winless streak in Europa League knockout fixtures to six games.
Photo Credit: Imago
Crvena zvezda, meanwhile, claimed their first European victory on French soil at the 10th attempt and recorded their first win against a French side away from home, giving them a slender but crucial advantage ahead of the return leg in Belgrade.
Uchenna, 26, began his professional career with Nasarawa United, where he played between 2019 and 2021 before moving to Europe for spells with BK Häcken and Sarpsborg 08.
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The defender has also featured at international level, representing the Nigeria national football team in a friendly against the Mexico national football team on 4 July 2021, where he came on as a 66th-minute substitute in a 4-0 defeat.
On 15 August 2025, he completed a move to the Serbian SuperLiga side on a three-year contract with an option for a fourth season.
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Thursday’s strike was Uchenna’s first goal of the 2025/2026 Europa League campaign. In domestic competition, he has already made 10 Serbian league appearances this season, scoring once.
