The 1-2 victory away in France sealed passage for Chelsea into the quarter finals of the Champions League, yet there were moments in the second leg that almost complicated the tie for Thomas Tuchel.
Suggesting Chelsea were not the better team would be a stretch too far, however Jocelyn Gourvenecc’s side have left an impression on the Champions League. Some players put in a self-advertisement for their ability, no doubt looking for a move in the summer.
Lille were without Renato Sanches going into the second leg while Chelsea were still missing Reece James on top of Ben Chilwell. Tuchel opted for a three-man midfield in Jorginho, Kante and Kovacic which was subsequently changed at half time.
On paper Lille set up in a 4-4-2, but this clearly shifted throughout the game. Up front were Burak Yilmaz and Jonathan David, while the interesting selection was Gabriel Gudmundsson at left midfield.
It was a little surprising to see Lille take the game to Chelsea in the first 20 minutes. Energetic and pressing high out of possession while tight and crafty with the ball, they managed to pin Chelsea inside their own half in the opening stages. Though Chelsea held the majority of the possession, it took them twenty minutes to touch the ball inside Lille’s box.
Lille setting up in a 4-3-3 out of possession, cutting off central avenues for Chelsea.
Lille could be seen pressing in a 4-3-3 shape going man-for-man with Chelsea’s midfield. This was successful in forcing the ball wide to the wing backs, who could be pinned into limited options. There’s a consistent pattern of play with Chelsea where the ball is played wide to Marcos Alonso, before he looks to clip the ball round the corner. It appears more teams are catching on to this.
Although the half-time XG data put Chelsea as creating less than 0.1 in expected goals while Lille had created more than a goal, les Dogues weren’t too effective at creating chances. Their penalty was the key chance in the first half, and they lacked a final ball.
Infairness the same could be said about Chelsea. Christian Pulisic’s goal was different to Yilmaz though, as it did come from a clear tactic rather than a little bit of luck.
When Chelsea were able to get forward, or a least breathing space in possession, they could be seen making a front four up front. This matched Lille’s backline and meant that if Lille wanted to stay tight to Chelsea’s forwards they could be pulled out of position.
As Cesar Azpilicueta pulled Tiago Djalo wide, it left a big space between Lille’s LB and LCB Sven Botman. It’s this space which Pulisic exploited in his goal, sprinting through the gap to latch on to the pass from Jorginho.
The second half was a mirror image to the first half. Lille had to exert so much energy to create any chances against a Chelsea defence that had conceded just four goals going into the tie. Yet their intensity almost led to a comeback.
Two glittering chances for Burak Yilmaz and Xeka respectively could have turned the tie on its head. Xeka’s in particular was the result of a wonderfully worked set piece. A quickly taken short corner created chaos in the Chelsea box, allowing a cross to come in for Xeka who had slipped between Chelsea defenders. Unfortunately for Xeka, his header smacked off the post.
Again though, after around twenty minutes, Lille began to fatigue. After successfully blunting Chelsea’s attack, the blues were able to creep forward and put pressure on a much-changed Lille defence. The front four was the weapon behind their second goal.
Chelsea creating a front 4 in possession, moments before Azpilicueta slips in behind Timothy Weah to score the winner of the leg.
You can see it form as the ball is played wide, and Azpilicueta is able to sneak in behind the defence that now relied on 22-year0old Timothy Weah to cover the back post. The substitute had only just come on, and maybe that’s a reason behind his fault in concentration allowing the Spaniard to sneak in and score.
Lille’s momentum was killed after this, as both sides made substitutions that effectively felt like both managers resting key men. France’s last representative in Europe’s premier competition fizzled out, but they definitely played with dignity. Jonathan David played with fire in his belly and expertly kept possession of the ball high up the pitch. Tiago Djalo was another who was impressed, as he played both LB and RB to such a standard that it’s a mystery what foot the 21-year-old favours.
From a Chelsea perspective, Tuchel should consider this a job well done. Despite a couple of hazardous moments, Chelsea persevered through pressure and let their opponents run themselves out. They took advantage and were clinical when it mattered.
All eyes now will be on the quarter final draw, which will take place this Friday at 12:00 CET.
