Indonesian defender Calvin Verdonk earned his first start for Lille in the UEFA Champions League, but Les Dogues suffered a 4-2 defeat against Turkish visitors Galatasaray at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

Operating in his preferred left-back role ahead of Romain Perraud, Verdonk played the full 90 minutes under manager Davide Ancelotti. While the 29-year-old contributed to attacking build-up play and delivered several dangerous crosses, his defensive flank absorbed intense pressure from Galatasaray’s frontline, featuring Victor Osimhen.

Early Goals Set Fast Pace In Stade Pierre-Mauroy

Galatasaray struck early in the contest when Yunus Akgun capitalized on a loose ball in the penalty area following a cross from Baris Alper Yilmaz on the left flank, putting the visitors ahead in the second minute. Lille responded swiftly in the seventh minute through 19-year-old winger Soriba Diaoune, who collected an incisive through ball from Alexandro, rounded goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, and slotted home to level the score at 1-1.

The match swung back and forth before halftime. Diaoune struck again in the 39th minute, converting an assist from Hakon Haraldsson to push Lille ahead 2-1. Just before the interval, Galatasaray struck back when Roland Sallai maneuvered past Verdonk on the flank and delivered an accurate pass for Alexey Batrakov to equalize, sending the teams into halftime tied at 2-2.

Second-Half Defensive Lapses Seal Lille Defeat

The visitors regained control shortly after the restart. In the 52nd minute, Galatasaray took a 3-2 lead courtesy of an own goal by Lille midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, who failed to clear a header from a tight angle during a corner-kick sequence. Galatasaray extended their advantage in the 61st minute when Victor Osimhen turned in a pass from Yilmaz to make it 4-2.

Manager Davide Ancelotti introduced fresh legs in the second half—bringing on Olivier Giroud, Mauritz Kjaergaard, Tanguy Nianzou, and others—while keeping Verdonk on the pitch for the duration. Despite the substitutions, Lille failed to narrow the deficit during the closing stages, sealing their third loss in the competition.

Standings And Upcoming Fixtures

With three defeats, Lille sits in 35th place in the Champions League with zero points. Meanwhile, Galatasaray secured their first three points of the tournament, moving up to the standings.

Lille must regroup ahead of their domestic and European schedules, while Galatasaray builds momentum from their first victory in the continental campaign.