When Lille lost its opening Champions League match in September, only a few bold gamblers would have bet on the Ligue 1 side to qualify for the last 16 of European club soccer’s elite tournament.

But the northern France side defied all the odds and concluded the league phase campaign of the competition with a 6-1 thrashing of Feyenoord on Wednesday. It was the first time Lille scored more than three goals in the Champions League.

Lille gatecrashed the top eight of the Champions League standings and booked an unexpected place in the last 16 when they hammered hapless Feyenoord 6-1 at home on Wednesday on the last night of the group competition.

Liverpool became the first team to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the new Champions League format by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday, while Barcelona fought back from two goals down to stun Benfica 5-4 in a thriller.