Japan’s Ueda fires Lille top of Ligue 1 on debut

On Thursday, Lille secured a 1-0 victory over Toulouse in Ligue 1, with Japanese international Ayase Ueda scoring the lone goal in his debut appearance for the club. The game took place in the absence of Lille's participation in a Champions League fixture against Real Betis on Tuesday. Ueda, who joined Lille on Monday for a fee of €15 million, broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, capitalizing on a goalmouth scramble to secure the win for Lille.

The team now leads the league standings, having amassed seven points from just three games. In a transfer window that saw Lille pay a staggering €100 million for Ayyoub Bouaddi and £69 million for Matias Fernandez-Pardo, the Japanese striker proved his worth in his first match, holding his ground in a tense finish and helping Lille gain a crucial three points.

New Lille manager Davide Ancelotti claimed a winning start in his inaugural game, also defeating Angers 2-0 at home, before managing to pull two goals back against Paris Saint-Germain, who could potentially retake the top spot on Friday when they face Monaco. Lille will face Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Roma, and Galatasaray in their upcoming Champions League fixtures.