Ayase Ueda marked his Lille debut with a decisive goal as Lille secured a 1-0 victory at Toulouse on Thursday and moved provisionally top of Ligue 1.

The Japanese international joined Lille just three days earlier. Despite spending much of the match under pressure, he struck in the 73rd minute to settle a closely fought contest.

Ueda headed the ball into the net during a lengthy goalmouth scramble. His finish came against the run of play and gave Lille a crucial three points.

Ueda Makes Immediate Impact

The 28-year-old arrived from Feyenoord after an impressive campaign in the Netherlands. He scored 25 goals in 31 league appearances last season.

Lille signed Ueda for a reported €15 million. The striker was paired with veteran forward Olivier Giroud in the attack against Toulouse.

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Although Toulouse created more pressure, Ueda stayed composed when his opportunity arrived. Lille then defended their narrow advantage to secure their second league win of the season.

The result lifted Lille to seven points from three matches and put them temporarily at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Ancelotti Enjoys Winning Start

New Lille head coach Davide Ancelotti has made a positive start to his first league campaign.

Lille defeated Angers in their opening match. They then built a two-goal lead against Paris Saint-Germain before conceding twice late in the match to draw.

PSG have the chance to reclaim first place on Friday when they face Monaco.

Meanwhile, Lille have also reshaped their squad during a busy transfer window. The club sold teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi to Manchester City for €100 million and Matias Fernandez-Pardo to Newcastle for a reported £51 million.

Lille Face Tough Champions League Tests

Lille will now turn their attention to a demanding European campaign.

The French club are scheduled to face several major European teams in the Champions League. Their opponents include Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Roma and Galatasaray.

Ueda’s immediate impact could therefore prove valuable as Lille balance their domestic campaign with European competition.

For now, however, the Japanese striker has given Ancelotti an ideal start with a debut goal and three important points.