Chelsea vs Lille: Chelsea looks to draw first blood when they meet Lille in the 1st leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie on Tuesday.
Match Details:
Teams: Chelsea vs Lille
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
Date: Wednesday 23rd February, 2022
Time: 01:30 AM IST
Live Link: http://www.sonyliv.com/
Preview
The defending champions, Chelsea head into the knockouts of the Champions League having finished runners-up in Group H behind Juventus.
Chelsea racked up 13 points from 6 matches including 4 wins, which has shown they are eager to defend their title.
Also read: UCL news: Top 5 teams with most Round of 16 wins in UEFA Champions League
The Blues have won their last 6 matches across competitions, which ensures positivity in the camp. They are also unbeaten in 16 home matches.
Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 1-0 away in the Premier League on the weekend and aim to continue their good form in this crucial 1st leg match.
On the other hand, Lille played out a goalless draw vs Metz in their previous Ligue 1 clash due to which their inconsistent run continues.
With 2 wins from their last 5 matches, the French champions’ poor season continues to see a major drop.
Lille come into the knockouts of the Champions League having finished top of Group G with 11 points from 6 matches.
Also read: Top 5 Youngest managers in the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 season; check the list
Group G was a competitive one but the French side managed to pick up 3 wins, which helped them qualify.
With a poor domestic season, Lille have the chance to change their fortunes with a good UCL run.
Both these sides met in the UCL 2019-20 season where Chelsea won the home and away match by 2-1 margin.
Form Guide
Chelsea: WWWWW
Lille: DWLLW
⚽️ Top 10 U23s – European Golden Boot :
🇷🇸 Dušan Vlahović 1⃣8⃣
🇺🇾 Darwin Núñez 1⃣8⃣
🇳🇴 Erling Haaland 1⃣6⃣
🇳🇴 Erik Botheim 1⃣5⃣
🇩🇪 Karim Adeyemi 1⃣4⃣
🇧🇷 Vinícius Júnior 1⃣3⃣
🇷🇺 Gamid Agalarov 1⃣3⃣
🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé 1⃣2⃣
🇨🇦 Jonathan David 1⃣2⃣
🇳🇱 Joshua Zirkzee 1⃣2⃣ pic.twitter.com/ELc9KsLoG4— Soccer Manager Games (@SoccerManager) February 21, 2022
Last Matches of both teams:
Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Lille 0-0 Metz
Where to watch the live stream and broadcast of Chelsea vs Lille in India?
The live stream is available on the Sony LIV App, Jio TV; while the broadcast is on Sony TEN 2.
Chelsea broke the record for fewest goals conceded in a Champions League Winning Campaign against
1. Strong Porto side that eliminated Juventus.
2. Reigning La Liga Champions in Atletico Madrid.
3. 13 times UCL winners Real Madrid.
4. Premier League Champions Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/jzulfUkPbb
— Yanny (@BallTherapyYan) February 14, 2022
Team News
Chilwell is a confirmed absentee while Hudson-Odoi, Mount and James are possible doubts due to injury issues.
Lille has no casualty concerns ahead of this important 1st leg clash.
Chelsea possible 11:
Mendy, Christensen, Silva, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kanté, Alonso, Ziyech, Pulisic and Lukaku
Lille possible 11:
Leo, Gudmundsson, Botman, Fonte, Celik, Bamba, Sanches, André, Weah, David and Yilmaz
Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Lille
Chelsea’s UCL performances this season have shown strength, attrition and ability to work under pressure.
Lille’s season may not have hit their peak but they can threaten with the likes of Yilmaz and David in form.
However, we see Chelsea gaining a win out here because of their outstanding home form and consistent winning habit.
Players to watch out for: Kanté, Pulisic, David and Sanches.
