Chelsea to see it out in Lille
Lille look to overcome a two goal deficit when they host Chelsea in their Champions League round of 16 second leg on Wednesday evening.
The Blues earned a narrow win over Newcastle United at the weekend thanks to a sublime late finish from Kai Havertz.
The German was fortunate to stay on the pitch after a nasty elbow cut Magpies centre back Dan Burn.
Of course, the circumstances are not ideal for Chelsea with a small cloud of uncertainty over the club at board level, but there are enough leaders in the dressing room for them to put in an assured display.
Background
Thomas Tuchel’s back three system worked a treat in the knockout stages of last season’s competitions, and with a lot of attention not on the pitch, this could be a game for Chelsea to sit in and ensure they hold on to their 2-0 aggregate lead.
Lille have had a frustrating season in their Ligue 1 title defence and have a lot of work to do to try and secure European football for next term.
Lille was a very nice draw in the round of 16, and so it has proved with Chelsea easily getting the better of them at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues travel to Middlesbrough for an FA Cup quarter final at the weekend and it will be interesting to see which match takes the highest priority.
Boro have already knocked Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur out of this year’s competition, so Tuchel may take some of his key men off against Les Dogues, if the scoreline remains comfortable heading into the closing exchanges.
Goals?
My angle for this encounter. It is sometimes difficult to pick an outright option given that there is little demand on Chelsea to go and win the game and therefore an unders play looked the most appealing.
Lille have scored in six of ten.
Lille have conceded in five of ten.
Lille have seen both teams score in three of ten.
Lille have seen over 2.5 goals in three of ten.
Chelsea have scored in nine of ten.
Chelsea have conceded in four of ten.
Chelsea have seen both teams score in four of ten.
Chelsea have seen over 2.5 goals in three of ten.
Lille have it all to do and Chelsea’s stubborn resistance should safely see them through.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
2-1 Chelsea, a tricky one to predict.