Are the Blues ahead at Stamford Bridge?
The English Premier League is considered the best national league in the world. But that doesn’t mean that opponents in the Champions League have to hide from English teams. In total, for example, there have been 14 duels between teams from England and France in the knockout rounds of the premier league and both nations have taken their representatives to the next round seven times each.
In this round of 16 clash between Chelsea and Lille, however, there is more to suggest that the English will improve on that statistic. LOSC are in the last 16 of the top flight for only the second time. In the 2006/07 season, they were defeated by Manchester United. Now they will face Chelsea FC, the reigning champions of the top flight and club world champions.
The Blues from London not only have the deeper squad, but are also much more experienced internationally. That’s why we’re also predicting a home win in the first leg of the round of 16 between Chelsea and Lille.
However, we do not expect the English to reach a preliminary decision at Stamford Bridge. However, we think there is no alternative to a home win. We can imagine a narrow win for the Blues and are clearly inclined to place a bet on a successful evening for the English between Chelsea and Lille.
Chelsea – Statistics & current form
After winning the Champions League and the Club World Cup, Thomas Tuchel has an enormously high standing among the Blues’ fans. However, he also has to take plenty of criticism, because Chelsea are not playing beautiful football at the moment. But the coach will be able to live with that, because the statistics don’t exactly speak against him.
Not pretty, but successful
Overall, Tuchel is the most successful coach in the knockout rounds of the Champions League in percentage terms, after Vincent del Bosque, Jupp Heynckes and Zinedine Zidane. On top of that, his team has won five matches in a row, despite less exciting matches. Therefore, there is a lot to be said for an unsightly game and yet, between Chelsea and Lille, you should check the odds for a home win above all else.
Last weekend, the Blues’ performance in the derby at Crystal Palace was again not particularly good. Superstar Romelu Lukaku, who played 90 minutes, had just seven touches on the ball, for example. Nevertheless, a late goal by Hakim Ziyech was enough for a 1-0 victory. Chelsea thus consolidated third place in the Premier League.
Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount will miss Tuesday’s Champions League clash through injury. Otherwise, all players are available and it is quite conceivable that Thomas Tuchel will again trust the eleven from the weekend Marcos Alonso, Mateo Kovacic, Saul Niguez and Timo Werner are, however, certainly options for the starting eleven.
Predicted Chelsea line-up:
Mendy – Sarr, Rüdiger, Thiago Silva, Christensen – Kante, Jorginho – Havertz, Pulisic, Ziyech – Lukaku – Coach: Tuchel
Last matches played by Chelsea:
Premier League
02/19 2022 – Crystal Palace 0 – 1 Chelsea London
Cup for clubs
02/12 2022 – Chelsea London 2 – 1 Palmeiras
02/09 2022 – Al Hilal 0 – 1 Chelsea London
FA Cup
02/05 2022 – Chelsea London 2 – 1 Plymouth
Premier League
01/23 2022 – Chelsea London 2 – 0 Tottenham
Lille – Statistics & current form
Lille coach Jocelyn Gourvennec has already outed himself as a big fan of the Blues. He has been to Stamford Bridge several times as a spectator, but now he is visiting Chelsea FC for the first time on an official mission. He will put his sympathies for his upcoming opponents on the back burner for now, as LOSC could reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in history.
LOSC’s mixed season
But there are no great encouragements for the French ahead of the match in England. The French champions are only eleventh in Ligue 1. After all, the international places are only four points away. But it will probably not be a return to the top flight. Moreover, the results in the last few weeks do not inspire confidence.
LOSC have only won one of their last four competitive matches. Therefore, we are rather reluctant to make a prediction on an away win in the duel between Chelsea and Lille. Last weekend, Ligue 1’s bottom team Metz were our guests. Lille did not manage more than a tired 0:0.
On Tuesday, however, the cards will be reshuffled and a somewhat different formation can be expected. Renato Sanches in particular is a hot candidate for the starting eleven. Otherwise, we will see who Jocelyn Gourvennec trusts to deliver a good game at Stamford Bridge. As it looks, he has his entire squad at his disposal.
Predicted Lille line-up:
Jardim – Gudmundsson, Botman, Fonte, Dialo – Renato Sanches, Xeka, Bamba, Gomes – Yilmaz, David – Coach: Gourvennec
Last matches played by Lille:
Ligue 1
02/18 2022 – Lille 0 – 0 Metz
02/12 2022 – Montpellier 0 – 1 Lille
02/06 2022 – Lille 1 – 5 Paris Saint-Germain
01/22 2022 – Brest 2 – 0 Lille
01/19 2022 – Lille 3 – 1 Lorient
Chelsea – Lille Direct comparison / H2H record
This is only the second time Chelsea FC and OSC Lille have been drawn against each other on the international stage. Two years ago, both clubs met in the group stage and both duels went to the Blues with 2:1. In general, the Londoners always look forward to visits from France in the European Cup. The French have visited Stamford Bridge a total of ten times and Chelsea have only lost once.
Lille, on the other hand, are not particularly fond of having to take to the pitch against an English club. To date, there have just been the two aforementioned duels against the Blues and six games against Manchester United. The French have only won one of those eight games, and that victory was 17 years ago.
Chelsea – Lille Tip
Chelsea are truly not playing well at the moment and perhaps the criticism of Thomas Tuchel is justified in this respect, but the results are right. It’s not for nothing that they are in third place in the Premier League and recently won the FIFA Club World Cup. If the results continue to be good, then Thomas Tuchel will remain firmly in the saddle.
Lille are not playing good football at the moment, nor are the results particularly pleasing. In the past four games, there has only been one win. The 0-0 draw at home to bottom club Metz in Ligue 1 last weekend is significant.
We don’t think there will be a high home win, though, but think the Blues will want to lay the foundation in the first 45 minutes. Especially in a home match in the knockout rounds, you have to see that you show the opponent who is the master in the house right away. That’s why we’ve decided to play the betting odds on HT/FT for the Blues between Chelsea and Lille.
