Chelsea need a win against Lille on Tuesday night in the Champions League to ensure they qualify for the round of 16. The Blues are level on eight points with Valencia but behind the Spanish team due to goal difference.
Frank Lampard’s team must void defeat at Stamford Bridge and hope their result is better than Valencia’s or group leaders Ajax. However, Chelsea are in terrible form with just one win in their last five matches in all competitions. Chelsea were shocked 3-1 by Everton at the weekend.
Lille have suddenly hit form. The French side has won three straight matches in Ligue 1 which ended a five-match winless streak in all competitions. The Dogues have kept three straight clean sheets outscoring opponents 3-0 in three matches.
Christophe Galtier has his team playing well and up to third in Ligue 1. It is a massive turnaround from where Lille were when they last played Chelsea in the Champions League.
The last meeting between Chelsea and Lille ended with a 2-1 win for the former team. Tammy Abraham opened the scoring but Lille’s Victor Osimhen levelled the match 11 minutes later. Willian’s 78th minute goal settled the game for the Blues in a very close game.
Antonio Rudiger is nearing a return for Chelsea. The defender has been struggling with a knee injury since last spring. Lampard is unlikely to pick the centre-back for Tuesday night’s game due to a lack of match fitness. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Marco van Ginkel are both ruled out with long-term injuries.
Abraham leads Chelsea in goals with 12 in all competitions. His strike against Lille in the Champions League is his only goal in the competition. Abraham has struggled with a bruised hip for Chelsea’s last three matches.
It has coincided with the team’s form dipping. Abraham did play the full 90 minutes against Everton at the weekend.
Lille cannot qualify for the Champions League last 16 nor can they make it to the Europa League round of 32. However, they can spoil Chelsea’s attempts to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage.
A win will send Chelsea through to the next round while a draw and Valencia loss will allow the Blues to qualify for the next stage. Defence has been an issue for Chelsea all season and they should concede goals against Lille.
Sixteen of Chelsea’s 23 matches have ended in both teams scoring. Tuesday night’s game should see both sides find the back of the net as Chelsea only manage a home draw against Lille. The fixture should see over 2.5 goals as Chelsea hope Ajax can top Valencia.
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