European Leagues
Lille beat Marseille to boost Champions League hopes
Canadian star Jonathan David scored his 23rd goal of the season to set Lille on the way to a 3-1 win over Marseille on Friday that kept them firmly on course for next season’s Champions League.
David’s penalty put Lille ahead early in the second half. Remy Cabella doubled their lead on 71 minutes by scoring against his former club.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang claimed a goal back for Marseille, but substitute Gabriel Gudmundsson made sure of the victory for Lille late on.
The northern side, who face Aston Villa next week in their first ever European quarter-final in the Europa Conference League, move up to third in Ligue 1 ahead of the rest of the weekend’s matches.
They are a point behind second-placed Brest and ahead of Monaco in fourth on goal difference, with the gap to Nice in fifth now six points.
The top three in Ligue 1 will qualify automatically for next season’s expanded Champions League, with the team in fourth entering Europe’s elite club competition in the preliminary rounds.
Marseille are seventh, which may yet be enough to sneak into Europe next season depending on who wins the French Cup, but they are a huge 10 points adrift of the top four and only have six matches left to play.
OM, who face Benfica in Portugal in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final next week, have lost four straight in all competitions.
Prior to that, they had recorded five wins on the bounce following the appointment of Jean-Louis Gasset as their third coach this season.
Lille were seeking to extend an impressive home record which had seen them lose just one of their previous 37 matches at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, going back to August 2022.
They went ahead nine minutes after the break when David converted from the spot after he had been fouled in the box by Samuel Gigot.
Sixteen of his goals have come in Ligue 1, with only Kylian Mbappe, who has 24 for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring more.
Cabella curled in a delightful shot to make it 2-0 for Paulo Fonseca’s impressive team, before Aubameyang gave Marseille a glimmer of hope, appearing to get the last touch as Lille’s defence made a mess of clearing their lines.
Shortly after that, in the 84th minute, Gudmundsson swept in Lille’s third goal as they prepared in the best possible manner for next Thursday’s trip to Villa Park.
Brest host struggling Metz on Sunday, with Monaco entertaining Rennes and Nice going to Reims later the same day.
Leaders PSG are at home to bottom side Clermont on Saturday.
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**Title:** Croatia confirm Slaven Bilic return as former West Ham boss replaces Zlatko Dalic **Meta Description:** Slaven Bilic has been appointed Croatia head coach for a second spell after Zlatko Dalic stepped down following the 2026 World Cup. **Slug:** croatia-confirm-slaven-bilic-return-head-coach **Alt Image Text:** Slaven Bilic during his unveiling as Croatia national team head coach — # Croatia confirm Slaven Bilic return as former West Ham boss replaces Zlatko Dalic Croatia have officially confirmed the return of Slaven Bilic as head coach, with the former West Ham United manager replacing Zlatko Dalic following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Bilic returns to the national team after more than a decade away, ending a two-year absence from management as he begins a second spell in charge of his country. ## Bilic begins a second spell with Croatia The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) announced Bilic’s appointment after the Executive Committee unanimously approved the recommendation of federation president Marijan Kustic. Bilic previously managed Croatia between 2006 and 2012, guiding the national team through two European Championships before embarking on a successful club coaching career that included spells with West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion, Besiktas and Al-Ittihad. The federation believes his experience and deep understanding of Croatian football make him the ideal candidate to lead the next generation. ## Huge task replacing Zlatko Dalic Bilic succeeds one of the most successful managers in Croatia’s history. Dalic stepped down after the 2026 World Cup, bringing an end to a remarkable tenure that included a World Cup final, a World Cup semi-final and several memorable tournament campaigns. Federation president Marijan Kustic acknowledged the size of the challenge but expressed complete confidence in Bilic. > “I would like to once again thank Zlatko for the exceptional results he achieved during his tenure. It is not easy to follow in his footsteps, but we are convinced Slaven is the right person for this role.” Kustic added that Bilic’s international pedigree and extensive coaching experience were decisive factors behind the appointment. ## Bilic honoured to return Bilic described his return as the greatest honour of his coaching career and admitted he understands the expectations that come with leading one of international football’s most consistent tournament teams. > “I would like to thank President Kustic and the Federation’s leadership for the confidence they have shown in allowing me to lead the Croatian national team once again — the greatest honour for any Croatian coach.” The 57-year-old also praised the standards established under Dalic while insisting he is ready for the responsibility. > “I am fully aware of the high expectations that follow such a remarkable period under Zlatko Dalic, but anyone who takes charge of Croatia must be prepared for that because we are a football nation that lives and breathes its national team.” ## A new chapter begins Bilic now faces the task of building on Dalic’s legacy while preparing Croatia for the next international cycle. With a blend of experienced stars and emerging young talent at his disposal, Croatia will hope their returning manager can guide them to another successful era on the international stage.
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