Who is Maurizio Mariani, the referee for the Lille-Real Madrid Champions League matchday 2 game?

Both Lille and Real Madrid enjoyed different starts to the new look Champions League ‘Swiss Model’ format with the reigning champions enjoying a 3-1 win over VFB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu with the Ligue 1 side falling in Lisbon to Sporting CP.

Lille currently sit in sixth place in Ligue 1 with three wins, one draw and two defeats contributing to their ten points with ‘Les Douges’ already six points behind PSG.

Real Madrid sit in second place in LaLiga but will be encouraged to FC Barcelona finally having a slip-up over the weekend as Hansi Flick’s men tasted defeat for the first time in the league falling 4-2 in Pamplona to Osasuna.

Los Blancos were involved in a tense Madrid derby against Atletico in a match that had to be suspended for 17 minutes as a sector of home supporters launched missiles at Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois with the game eventually ending in a 1-1 draw.

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Italian official for Stade Pierre-Mauroy clash

42-year-old Maurizio Mariani will oversee the game in the north of France on Wednesday night as Lille and Madrid meet for the first time ever with this contest set to be his second game officiating Real Madrid.

The Italian refereed the Bernabeu side back in the UCL 2022/23 group stage match between Madrid and Leipzig, in which Ancelotti’s side won 2-0.

Miriani officiated the recent Milan derby and was on international duty in the summer drafted in as one of the UEFA officials for a series of the 2024 Copa America matches.

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OSC Lille-Real Madrid: officiating team