realistic, Chelsea surpass Lille in the round of 16 first leg

Published on : 22/02/2022 – 16:45Modified : 22/02/2022 – 23:04

The gap between Lille, which is playing its round of 16 in its history, and Chelsea, defending champion and world champion, was seen in the Champions League. The Blues perfectly neutralized the Mastiffs at Stamford Bridge and took an advantage for the return match (2-0). As promised, Lille played uninhibited but without being sufficiently dangerous. In the other match of the evening, Juventus Turin and Villareal separated in a draw (1-1).

Not ridiculous in the game, the French champion club has nevertheless lost its footing on the lawn of the reigning European champions, picked by Kai Havertz (8th) and Christian Pulisic (63rd) on two errors. The score is more severe than the scenario of the meeting and it is the main regret for the Mastiffs, who tried a lot, like Renato Sanches, but never really worried the Blues.

Surprised at entrance

Beating the club recently crowned world champion promised to be a summit? It is now an Everest that Lille will have to climb on March 16 in the second leg if the club wants to reach the first quarter-final in its history, fifteen years after being eliminated by Manchester United during their first foray into the round of 16 (1 -0, 1-0) in 2007.

And here is Chelsea launched towards the European top 8 in a crucial week when the Blues will face Liverpool in the final of the English League Cup on Sunday.

At Stamford Bridge, Lille did not make it easy by quickly conceding a goal. On one of the first incursions of the Blues, Kai Havertz transplanted in the axis and rolled up his strike, deflected by Lille goalkeeper Leo Jardim for a corner. Party postponed for the German striker, who emerged alone on this same corner to score with a headed shot (8th), free of any marking.

A mistake of inattention that cost the Lillois dearly, yet rather inspired in the first period, in the wake of their master to play Renato Sanches.

Often slowed down by injuries, the Portuguese is an intermittent showman, but what a show! He shook the European champions with his ball-to-foot breakthroughs and his shot, unscrewed, would have deserved better (40th).

But he was very much alone, like Jonathan David, isolated up front in the absence at kick-off of his friend Burak Yilmaz (in poor form) and author of a frustrating match.

In the second half, it was again Chelsea who were the most realistic on a flashback: ball stolen from the Blues’ half of the field, breakthrough by N’Golo Kanté, and pass from the Frenchman at the end of the race to Christian Pulisic for the second goal (63rd).

Enough to show Lille the path that remains to be traveled to reach the European elite…

The flash Vlahovic insufficient for Juve

Nothing is decided between Juventus Turin and Villarreal, back to back at the Ceramics stadium (1-1), despite a dream start to the match for the “Old Lady” and her rookie Dusan Vlahovic, neophyte in C1 and goalscorer after just 33 seconds!

Juve had all the cards in hand after this early goal but the equalizer from Dani Parejo (66th) complicates the equation for the Turinese, who dream of reaching the quarters after two consecutive failures in the past two seasons.

Vlahovic (22), for whom it was the first Champions League match, wasted no time by opening the scoring with a cross shot (1st minute). Enough to prove the Turin club right to have invested 70 M EUR in January to attract the Fiorentina striker.

It is not the fastest goal in the history of the European queen event, scored in 2006-2007 by the Dutchman Roy Makaay after 10 seconds, but it is already a great achievement.

Still, Juve may have managed this advantage a little too much and Villarreal, winner of the Europa League 2021, ended up coming back: Parejo, alone in the box, sent an instantaneous shot close to the post and preserved the suspense until to the return match on March 16.

Relive the Lille – Chelsea match in our liveblog below: