Crvena Zvezda Defeat Lille, Nair Tiknizyan Shines

Crvena Zvezda secured a narrow but extremely important 1–0 victory over Lille in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 32. The match took place in France, and the Belgrade side once again confirmed their superiority over the opponent — the teams had previously met in the league phase, where the Serbian club also won by the same scoreline.

The only goal of the match came in first-half stoppage time (45+1), when defender Tebo Uchenna scored following a corner kick.

Tiknizyan Among the Best on the Pitch

Armenia national team defender Nair Tiknizyan delivered an impressive performance as a left wing-back. Dejan Stanković’s side operated with a five-man defensive setup, allowing Tiknizyan to fully showcase his strengths.

The Armenian footballer actively joined attacks, consistently created danger down the flank, and put pressure on the opposition’s defense. One of his most dangerous low crosses nearly resulted in a goal, but Marko Arnautović failed to convert from a promising position.

Nair Tiknizyan’s Match Statistics

• Minutes played: 77
• Big chances created: 1
• Key passes: 2
• Expected assists (xA): 0.63
• Accurate passes: 15 (71%)
• Successful dribbles: 1/1
• Fouls won: 2
• Possession lost: 14
• Clearances: 3
• Ball recoveries: 4
• Duels won: 6/7
• Aerial duels: 2/5
• SofaScore rating: 7.5

Tiknizyan demonstrated a strong balance between defensive duties and attacking contribution, emerging as one of the standout performers of the match.

The return leg will take place on February 26 in Belgrade, where Crvena Zvezda will look to secure their advantage and advance to the next stage of the tournament.