It is important to note that Pepe did not singlehandedly orchestrate the Lille offence. Instead he was one of four players that made up Lille’s sublime 2018-19 forward line. Two of those four players still remain in the forms of Jonathan Ikone, a recent call-up to the French National team, and Jonathan Bamba. The final member, Rafael Leao, was sold to AC Milan over the summer, but replaced by Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, who has had a frantic start to the year – notching five goals in five matches.

Despite what some may believe, Lille have a deep squad, and should be able to balance domestic and European competition without much trouble. Outside of the aforementioned forwards, manager Christophe Galtier can also call on Timothy Weah, Loic Remy, Yusef Yazici and Luiz Araujo. At fullback, Turkish international, Zeki Celik, is one to watch, as the defender is extremely capable of getting forward, and was a big part of Pepe’s success – as the two combined often on Lille’s right flank. Meanwhile, in midfield, veteran Benjamin Andre brings experience, and a significant engine to the defensive side of the game, while the recently signed Renato Sanches can be expected to slot in as the second holding midfielder.

Lille have to feel good about their group, as all three sides look to be in the midst of some type of transition period. Despite this, Les Dogues are still coming in as underdogs, but if they can remain resolute defensively they have the talent to cause problems within the group. If nothing else, they are worth a watch if only to get a look at some of the promising young talents that will likely be sold around Europe in the coming years.