Playing at the Decathlon Arena - Stade Pierre Mauroy, the French side dominated large stretches of the match but struggled to break down a resilient Brann defense in the first half, which ended scoreless.
The deadlock was finally broken nine minutes into the second half when Hamza Igamane finished from close range in the 54th minute, following a strong run and assist by Matias Fernandez-Pardo.
However, the lead was short-lived. Just six minutes later, Brann responded quickly on a counter-attack, with Sævar Atli Magnússon leveling the score in the 60th minute after being set up by Noah Holm. The Norwegian team, making a highly anticipated return to European competition, looked set to snatch a valuable draw.
The game became a frantic affair, with both sides rattling the woodwork multiple times. But it was the experience of 38-year-old veteran Olivier Giroud, who came off the bench, that made the difference. In the 80th minute, Giroud soared above the defense to meet an inviting cross from Tiago Santos, powering a decisive header past the Brann keeper to clinch the 2-1 win for Lille and secure the opening three points in their Europa League campaign.
