Chelsea will take on LOSC Lille in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. The Blues will be playing at the Stamford Bridge in the first of this two-legged fixture. That said, it will not be an easy outing for the defending UCL Champions to get past Lille.
Both the teams are carrying interesting stats heading into the fixture. Chelsea are unbeaten in 17 of their last 19 fixtures while Lille have won their last three UCL fixtures. It is fair to say that Chelsea will start as the favorites in this match-up and Lille will have to be at their precise best, if they are to upset Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Chelsea have won their last two games against Lille and have won their last five fixtures, overall. Their opponents though, have been up and down lately, registering only two wins from their last five games. In other words, Lille have been rather unpredictable based on their recent form and Chelsea will be wary of it.
Chelsea Team News
Reece James and Ben Chilwell will miss this game as they continue to recover from their respective injuries that they sustained in the early part of the season. Callum Hudson-Odoi is also expected to miss the tie.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Mason Mount have an outside chance of making it to the game. Azpilicueta is expected to start (if fit) while Mount is likely to make an appearance from the bench.
3-4-3| Predicted Chelsea Lineup
Goalkeeper
No surprises here. Edouard Mendy will be the shot-stopper for Chelsea in this match. The Senegal international has been the preferred man in between the sticks for Tuchel.
Defenders
Thomas Tuchel is likely to stick to a back three for his Chelsea lineup. His picks are more or less certain with the trio likely to consist of Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.
Midfield
The central midfield duo in today’s Chelsea lineup should see Jorginho team up with the workhorse N’Golo Kante.
How Kante fares could well decide the game for Chelsea. The Frenchman’s high work-rate is an admirable trait but so are his vision and passing. Having said that, Tuchel will count on his midfield duo to run the game. It is unclear if Chelsea will invite Lille onto them and then attack on the break or dominate from the word go. If it is the latter, expect the Blues’ midfield to win that aspect of the game.
In the absence of James and Chilwell, Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso will occupy the flanks in the Chelsea lineup.
Attack
On the right side of the attack, expect Hakim Ziyech to be deployed. There could be a toss-up between Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz for the other attacking spot behind the striker which could go either way.
It will be interesting to see whether the manager makes the expected but also controversial call of dropping Romelu Lukaku who has flattered to deceive in recent weeks. Taking the big Belgian out of the firing line could be a smart tactic.
If Tuchel decides to do that, Timo Werner will be handed a rare chance to lead the line and will be desperate to impress.
