Champions League - Lille vs Chelsea Prediction - bettingexpert
Chelsea players will need to put all off-field distractions out of their minds as they prepare to defend their 2-0 lead against Lille on Wednesday. The Premier League club dominated the game at Stamford Bridge in the first leg and will now be expected to progress to the quarter finals.
Lille did come back into the game after the first goal was scored but now have a tough job to go through after conceding a second. But the lead is not insurmountable and an early goal for the home side would change the complexion of this tie.
Lille vs Chelsea Recent Form
Lille have come back to Earth with a bump after winning the Ligue 1 title last season. There has been some improvement in recent weeks though. After winning their Champions League group, the French side have now gone four games unbeaten and have slowly started to climb back up the league.
Chelsea were unable to beat Liverpool in the EFL Cup final but almost everything else has been going right for the club – on the pitch at least. After losing to league leaders Manchester City in January, Chelsea remain unbeaten and are still on course for a top four finish.
Lille vs Chelsea Recent Matchups
Chelsea won both group stage games between these two in the Champions League a few years ago and have now added their first leg victory to the head-to-head record. The two-goal win was a satisfactory performance but Thomas Tuchel will not have been happy with how Lille threatened as they got back into the game.
Lille actually enjoyed the majority of possession and recorded more shots than their hosts but just didn’t get enough on target to worry Chelsea. If they can improve that part of their game – and maybe snatch an early goal – this could be an exhilarating tie.
Lille vs Chelsea Stats and Analysis
After losing Jonathan Ikone to Fiorentina in the January transfer window, Lille have not been able to score as many goals. Jonathan David and Burak Yilmaz just haven’t been able to find the net in the same way as they did last season. But the recent 4-0 win against Clermont might signal a change in fortune. Lille will not score so many against Chelsea, but it is a move in the right direction.
Chelsea have looked very comfortable in the league in recent weeks and have not needed their expensive summer signing to pick up his performances. Romelu Lukaku was supposed to make Chelsea unplayable up front but he has been a major disappointment. Kai Havertz has stepped up in his place though and he could be the danger man in Lille.
Lille vs Chelsea Prediction: Betting Tips
With a two-goal cushion, it would seem that Chelsea already have one foot in the quarter finals. That might allow Lille to take the game to the visitors on Wednesday, making for an exciting game.
Lille might not ultimately win the game, but the odds of 3.60 for the draw do look interesting given how the tie is currently balanced. Chelsea to win and both teams to score at 3.80 also looks like pretty good value.
