Chelsea vs Lille LIVE: Champions League result and final score as Pulisic and Havertz goals give Blues lead
Reaction as Chelsea resumed the defence of their Champions League title at home to Lille in the last-16
Goals in each half from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic earned defending champions Chelsea a solid 2-0 last-16 first-leg victory over Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday, but the London side will be concerned about injuries to key players.
Havertz, who had already had two attempts on goal early in the game, headed down a Hakim Ziyech corner in the eighth minute and the ball bounced high off the turf into the net.
Chelsea left struggling striker Romelu Lukaku on the bench and it was Pulisic who hit the second in the 63rd minute with a curling finish after N’Golo Kante’s surging run and pinpoint pass.
Ligue 1 champions Lille, who topped their qualifying group ahead of Salzburg, VfL Wolfsburg and Sevilla, kept Chelsea busy going forward with buzzing runs from Renato Sanches, Benjamin Andre and Jonathan Bamba.
But efforts from all three and from Canadian striker Jonathan David were either blocked, usually by defensive rock Thiago Silva, or collected easily by Edouard Mendy in the Chelsea goal.
Chelsea, who face Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday, may be satisfied with taking a two-goal lead to Lille for the second leg on March 16. But they will be concerned for the fitness of pivotal midfielder Mateo Kovacic and of in-form Ziyech who both limped off early in the second half.
Chelsea vs Lille: Tuchel on Chelsea’s approach
Thomas Tuchel says that scrapping the away goals rule won’t change his team’s approach to these two legs and that the equation is simpler without it - the team with the most goals wins.
Tuchel said:
For us, it changes nothing in our approach for the game tomorrow. We will try to keep a clean sheet, defend good and try to attack as best as possible,
“If it changes our approach in the second leg, we might not have to think so much, like what happens if we score a goal and how much do they need,
“It is easier to adapt. Let’s get the two games played and then do the mathematics and in the end, count the goals and if it is not decided, then go to extra-time.”
Chelsea vs Lille: Mendy’s fantastic form
Edouard Mendy kept nine clean sheets in 12 Champions League matches last season, the most in a campaign by a goalkeeper for an English side in the competition’s history.
He has added another four from his five appearances this term.
Chelsea vs Lille: How do Chelsea solve their Romelu Lukaku problem?
Before Hakim Ziyech’s first goal was disallowed at Selhurt Park, and while his teammates sprinted to the corner flag to celebrate, Romelu Lukaku turned to the home supporters in the main stand and raised a shushing finger to his lips.
If it was an attempt to silence his critics, it was fittingly short-lived. As the VAR official intervened, the stadium erupted and jeered and, although Chelsea did eventually snatch a victory that was closer to an act of theft, it will have brought Lukaku little personal redemption.
After all, in a Chelsea team built successfully and scrupulously in Thomas Tuchel’s image, Lukaku’s torment against Crystal Palace felt distinctly individual.
How do Chelsea solve their Romelu Lukaku problem?
The Blues’ late victory over Crystal Palace did little to disguise a miserable afternoon for the £97.5m striker
Chelsea vs Lille: Chelsea’s strong home form
A 1-0 defeat at Juventus on Matchday 2 this season is one of only four in Chelsea’s last 26 Champions League matches - they’ve won 16 and drawn six during that run.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have won seven of their last 13 European matches at Stamford Bridge (four draws, two defeats), including each of the last five, all with clean sheets.
Chelsea vs Lille: More from Gourvennec
Lille won their Champions League group for the first time ever, despite being winless at the halfway stage.
Three consecutive victories in the second half of the group stages – including away successes at both Sevilla and Wolfsburg – propelled them to top spot and manager Jocelyn Gourvennec hopes to take that momentum into the knockout stages. He said:
We had a difficult start in the Champions League [this season]. No one saw us finishing top of the group, but we defied expectations. It will be an extra step tomorrow against the defending champions. It’s an enormous challenge.”
Chelsea vs Lille: Gourvennec on Chelsea
Lille boss, Jocelyn Gourvennec, says his team are hoping to ruin Chelsea’s party when they travel to Stamford Bridge for tonight’s Champions League last-16 first leg.
The reigning champions are favourites to progress to the next stage, especially given Lille’s poor domestic form, but Gourvennec believes his team cancause an upset. He said:
We are competitors so we will not be going there just to be Chelsea’s sparring partners, that’s for sure,
"They are a great team but there are always surprises in cup matches and we want to be the party poopers, as we have been since the beginning of this Champions League campaign."
Chelsea vs Lille: Knockout stage history
This is Chelsea’s 16th time in the Champions League knockout stages whilst Lille’s only previous last-16 tie came in 2006/07, when their challenge was ended by home and away defeats against English opposition.
The two sides have met previously in the Champions League with Chelsea twice winning 2-1 (home and away) in the 2019/20 Champions League group stages.
Chelsea vs Lille: Tuchel on away goals rule
The away goals rule, used since 1965, was abolished by Uefa ahead of this season’s Champions League games and any tie that results in a draw over two legs will now be settled by extra-time and penalties after the second leg.
Thomas Tuchel was asked of his views on the decision in a pre-match press conference, he said:
I had the impression until now that it gives you the chance to be more offensive because you can think about scoring and not be so afraid of conceding,
“When the coaches were asked at the UEFA meeting, I was in the majority to vote for this change of rule [no away goals] to make it clearer and more understandable.
“I liked it because it gave it an extra edge and doing mathematics throughout the game was exciting, but at the same time, I never understood why a 3-1 should be better than a 2-0, or worse for one team.
“Maybe it is harder to score three, and this is a better result than a 2-0, to have a clean sheet going into the second game. I like it because it is clear, I think we might end up with more games going to extra-time and more penalties, because if it is even on goals it will go to extra-time.”
Chelsea vs Lille: Blues to wear Club World Cup badge
Fresh off their victory against Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final, Chelsea will sport the golden badge on their shirts this evening.
Chelsea vs Lille: Team changes
There is no Romelu Lukaku for the Blues as Thomas Tuchel makes three changes to the Chelsea team that started against Crystal Palace at the weekend. Malang Sarr and Jorginho drop out for Marcos Alonso and Mateo Kovacic. Cesar Azpilicueta also returns.
Lille boss, Jocelyn Gourvennec, also make three changes to his team. Zeki Celik, Renato Sanches and Amadou Onana are return in place of Gabriel Gudmundsson, Angel Gomes and Burak Yilmaz.
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