Lille vs. Chelsea: Can The Sanctions-Hit Defending Champions Rise To The Occasion?

March 15, 2022

Benson Chikezie, Senior Author

Chelsea travel to Lille for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 after establishing a 2-0 lead in Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago. The embattled defending champions will continue their title defense against a Lille side who have recorded 2 wins and a draw since their loss to Chelsea.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 01:30 IST on the 17th of March, 2022. The Blues have been hit by sanctions that have frozen their finances, but their off-pitch problems are yet to translate to their form on the pitch. Lille, on their part, could only afford a 0-0 draw against St. Etienne over the weekend. They will look to overturn a 2-goal deficit against an in-form Chelsea side and a certain Kai Harvertz who cannot stop scoring.

Teams Status

Here is the latest on the form and team news for both sides:

Lille Form and Team News

Lille’s season has been mixed, with wins, draws, and losses all over the place. The French club has been unconvincing in some fixtures while they have turned on the heat in others. After losing Stamford Bridge, they won 1-0 at Lyon and put 4 goals past Clermont before failing to score in a 0-0 draw against St. Etienne.

At home, Lille have been relatively solid with 5 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss in their last 10 home games. Star striker Jonathan David will hope to inspire them to a comeback victory, as he leads their scoring charts with 3 goals and 1 assist.

For their team news, Lille presently do not have any player sidelined and will hope to unleash their full strength on the visitors.

Chelsea Form and Team News

Four matches after their penalty shootout loss at Wembley, the Blues are yet to lose a game, yet to drop points in the EPL and have their German attacker Kai Harvertz firing on all cylinders. The London club have been hit with crippling sanctions that many believed would affect their match performance, but they have managed to respond with two wins in two since the sanctions.

In Europe, the defending champions have not been entirely convincing and unable to wrap up some games. However, a dominant display in the first leg means they travel with a two-goal advantage over their opponents. Thomas Tuchel will expect his side to finish the job in France, and with Chelsea’s current form, the coach’s expectations are not strange, after all.

For their team news, Chelsea remain without Ben Chilwell, who is due to return at the end of the season. Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Cesar Azpiliqueta, who has just returned from serving time on the sidelines, may not participate in the return leg.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Lille	Draw	Chelsea
4.20	3.50	1.91
4.2	3.8	1.95
4.18	3.8	1.945

Chelsea may be the visiting team, but their technical superiority and 2-0 lead on aggregate are factors the sportsbooks must have considered before naming them favorites over the home team. The major outcomes are Lille to win, a draw, and Chelsea to win. For the three outcomes above, here are the odds as seen on the sportsbooks.

On Sportsbet.io, the odds for the three outcomes above are as follows: 4.20, 3.50, and1.91. The Melbet sportsbook places the odds at 4.18, 3.8, and 1.945, while the odds for the three outcomes on Parimatch are 4.2, 3.8, and 1.95 odds.

Tipster’s Angle

Chelsea have a strong away record, winning 5 of their last 5 games on the road. The Blues lead 2-0 on aggregate, and except a capitulation occurs, they look the most likely to scale through to the next round.

Lille are hurting from their first-leg loss and will hope to draw inspiration from their 2 wins and 1 draw since that period. Here are the possible outcomes for this fixture:

Tip: Chelsea To Win, Draw No Bet @ 1.38

Lille offered little going forward in the first leg and failed to do enough to trouble the Chelsea backline. If Tuchel’s men gain an early foothold in the game, it will be difficult for Lille to come back from 3 goals down. We expect a Chelsea victory at the end of regular time. Chelsea to win and draw no bet is available on the Sportsbet.io sportsbook at 1.38 odds.

Tip: Chelsea To Win Either Half @ 1.51

Chelsea appear to have found a good patch of form and are getting the goals to boot, especially when they play Kai Havertz upfront. They started the first leg strongly and will most likely do the same in this encounter.

We expect Chelsea to be the better team on the night and win at least one half. Chelsea to win either half is available on the Paripesa sportsbook at 1.51 odds.

Conclusion

Chelsea are rocked by the sanctions imposed on them, but so far, the Blues have held their heads high and continued to play. They already have one foot in the next round, courtesy of a 2-0 win in the first leg, and will only play to secure the victory in France. Lille offered little in the first leg, and although we expect them to put up a fight, Chelsea are favorites to win and qualify.

Benson Chikezie

03:15, 15 Mar 2022

Senior Author

Benson Chikezie

Senior Author

03:15, 15 Mar 2022

Benson Chikezie is a Nigerian-based writer with many years of experience in the sports betting industry. He is a digital marketer by profession. Benson has written many sports related contents for various websites.