Chelsea head to France to take on Ligue 1 side Lille on Wednesday night in the Champions League. The Group H rivals both lost on matchday 1 and now need a big win to improve chances of qualification to the knockout stage.
Lille were thrashed 3-0 by Ajax on Champions League matchday 1. The French team struggled away from home as Ajax’s attack ran roughshod in the Netherlands. Lille conceded three goals within the opening 62 minutes.
Chelsea didn’t fare much better at home against Valencia. The Blues were beaten 1-0 thanks to a Rodrigo Moreno goal. Chelsea had the chance to equalise late on but Ross Barkley’s penalty crashed against the crossbar.
Manager Frank Lampard does have momentum on his side. Chelsea won at home in the Premier League at the weekend against Brighton 2-0. It was Lampard’s first victory at Stamford Bridge. The manager will expect his team to parlay that success over to the Champions League.
Wise words from the captain! 👊#LOSCCHE— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 2, 2019
Wise words from the captain! 👊#LOSCCHE
Lille are doing well domestically despite their loss to Ajax in the Champions League. Lille are fourth in the French top flight and unbeaten in five of their last six matches.
The French team finished second in Ligue 1 last term behind the goalscoring of Nicolas Pepe. He was sold to Arsenal in the summer and his departure has left a hole in the team’s scoring. Victor Osimhen has picked up some of the offensive slack at Lille. He has tallied six goals in Ligue 1.
Lampard has several players suffering from injuries at Stamford Bridge. The manager will be without Ruben Loftus-Cheek due to his Achilles injury. Loftus-Cheek is nearing a return to action and could be back sooner than later
Full-back Emerson Palmieri is ruled out of Wednesday night’s match. Striker Olivier Giroud is returning to full fitness and is listed as 50% likely to make the squad. Kurt Zouma and N’Golo Kante are also returning to full fitness and may play a part against Lille.
Kante is a key player for Chelsea and is needed if the Blues want to make the knockout stage. The midfielder is suffering from a knock that doesn’t want to heal fully.
Chelsea have potential under Lampard but the problem is the team’s defence. Last weekend’s clean sheet win was a step in the right direction. Now, Lampard needs to get a big win on the continent.
Lille are not as strong as they were last season. This will allow Chelsea to leave France with three big points. The Blues will claim a win in a low-scoring match. Expect under 2.5 goals with Chelsea keeping an important clean sheet.