Lille ended their Champions League opener with ten players and a 2-3 defeat to Real Betis. Ethan Mbappe, who had set up the home side's first goal, was sent off in the 56th minute following an off-the-ball incident.
The 19-year-old midfielder swung an elbow as Natan closed in from behind. After reviewing the footage through VAR, the referee issued a straight red card. Lille were already trailing 2-3, so the dismissal made their search for an equaliser at Pierre-Mauroy even harder.
The match had already changed direction several times. Ayase Ueda and Alexsandro twice put Lille ahead, but Marc Bartra scored twice for Betis before Troy Parrott supplied the decisive goal in the 53rd minute. Ethan's cross for Ueda had been a positive contribution, subsequently overshadowed by the red card.
Ethan came through AS Bondy and PSG's academy before moving to Lille in 2024. The result also gave coach Davide Ancelotti a difficult start to the European campaign after encouraging early results in Ligue 1. Lille still have seven league-phase matches to improve their position, but the opener exposed the cost of lost leads and poor discipline.