Lille – Auxerre
Undefeated since February 1st, Lille is already guaranteed at least 5th place in Ligue 1, which means a spot in the Europa League. However, the Losc, hosting Auxerre on Sunday, May 17, 2026 for the final day of the championship, aims to secure 3rd place and qualify directly for the Champions League. “We hold our destiny in our hands. We don’t need to know the results of others, it’s up to us to win this match,” summarized Romain Perraud, the left-back from the north, on Friday.
With a victory against Auxerre, Lille, currently in 3rd place with 61 points, could not be caught by its two competitors in the race for the Champions League, Rennes (5th, 59 points) and Lyon (4th, 60 points), who will play against Marseille (6th, 56 points) and Lens (2nd, 67 points) respectively.
Any result other than a win would make Lille dependent on the results of its two opponents, a scenario that Bruno Genesio, former coach of Lyon and Rennes, wants to avoid. “I don’t expect much from others. Let’s do our job and not rely on others, that’s better, I think,” commented the Lille coach, whose contract is ending with the northern club.
The 59-year-old coach warns against the “emotional aspect” of this final game of the season, which he sees as crucial. “It’s up to us, the staff, to manage it well. We have experienced players who have been in these situations before, which is a plus,” Genesio believes.
Unbeaten for thirteen games
Romain Perraud emphasizes the “resilience” of the Lille team, which was able to resist a tough start to the year 2026, marked by four consecutive defeats in the league between January and February, to then string together thirteen consecutive matches without a loss in Ligue 1, a current streak. During their rough patch, the team “never” gave up, according to the 28-year-old defender: “We knew it would turn around.”
Against Auxerre, Lille must finish the job. However, their opponent, 15th and tied on points with Nice (16th), also has motivation with the possibility of securing their survival without going through the playoffs. “It’s a final, for both us and Auxerre,” warned Bruno Genesio, aware of the momentum of the Burgundian club (12 points out of 21). “It’s a very good team, not where they belong,” says the coach of the Dogues.
By beating Nice 2-1 last weekend, AJ Auxerre climbed out of the bottom three spots in the standings where they had been since the 9th matchday. On March 13, after the 26th round and a loss to Marseille (1-0), AJA was 8 points behind Nice. Christophe Pélissier’s team has come a long way, but to ensure they keep 15th place, they must win against Lille as Nice faces Metz (18th, 16 points) simultaneously, a team already relegated to Ligue 2. This challenge could make Auxerre a tricky opponent for Lille.
This Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 9:00 PM on Ligue 1 +.
