Lille not Force of Last Season
Defending champions Chelsea, who were crowned Club World champions earlier this month, are expected to carve out a first-leg lead against the French champions, who have struggled in Ligue 1 this season. Lille claimed a shock title triumph ahead of Paris Saint-Germain last term but lost several key players and manager Christophe Galtier, who moved to Nice, over the summer and they have so far failed to replicate their previous domestic success.
However, they have coped well in Europe and emerged as winners out of a group featuring RB Salzburg, Sevilla and Wolfsburg to take their place in the last 16 for the first time in 15 years.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel led his side to second in their group, behind Juventus, and they sit third in the Premier League after the 1-0 weekend win at Crystal Palace. The Blues are favourites at 5/18 to win the first leg, with Lille 19/2 to win and the draw is 17/4, but Tuchel is expecting a testing evening at Stamford Bridge despite the fact Lille have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions and were held to a goalless draw by second-bottom Metz on Friday.
‘Physical’
Tuchel said: “We all know how physical French football is. Players are very brave in one-on-one challenges and very disciplined on the ball. They have the chance to play this game as underdogs with nothing to lose and they will take it from there.”
Chelsea are unlikely to have Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi available as they recover from ankle and Achilles injuries respectively but Cesar Azpilicueta should be fit. Reece James and Ben Chilwell remain out for the Londoners.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 21, 2022
Angel Gomes is struggling with a calf problem for the visitors so Hatem Ben Arfa or Timothy Weah are pushing to start, while Renato Sanches and Zeki Celik are others who could come into the Lille side.
Another Chelsea Shutout?
Chelsea’s ability to keep clean sheets under Tuchel is well documented and they have yet to concede at home in this season’s Champions League so another win to zero for the Blues, available at 1/1, looks a distinct possibility, especially when you factor in Lille’s lack of recent goals – the French outfit have hit just two across their last four Ligue 1 games.
The other game looks like being a tighter affair with Villarreal taking on Italian champions Juventus, who have not been their normal dominant selves in Serie A this season. The Old Lady are down in fourth in the table and come into this trip to Spain on the back of consecutive 1-1 draws domestically against Atalanta and Torino.
Goals for Both on the Cards
Juve did edge out Chelsea in the group stage to finish top to underline their Champions League prowess and plenty will be tempted by the 2/1 on offer for an away win. However, a safer selection may be backing both teams to score at 10/11 considering Juventus have only failed to score in one of their last seven games and The Yellow Submarine have hit nine goals in their last four games, including four in a 4-1 win at Granada on Saturday.
*Odds correct at time of writing.