UCL: Chelsea take charge against Lille
Chelsea 2 - 0 Lille
Chelsea took control of their Champions League tie against Lille with a straightforward victory at Stamford Bridge.
Kai Havertz headed in Hakim Ziyech's corner after eight minutes and Christian Pulisic was the beneficiary of a superb run and pass from N'Golo Kante in the 63rd minute as the Blues secured a crucial advantage.
Havertz was the main attacking threat for Chelsea - and the German almost scored twice before his early strike.
Advantage Chelsea! 😁#CheLil pic.twitter.com/x5qkkecw0Z
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 22, 2022
The only negatives on a good night for Chelsea and manager Thomas Tuchel were injuries to Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic ahead of Sunday's League Cup final against Liverpool.
Chelsea had few worries against a spirited Lille side. Their composed and professional performance summed up by the quality shown by veteran defender Thiago Silva and outstanding midfield man Kante.
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Watch the highlights in the video. Footage courtesy of the Chelsea YouTube channel.
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There was plenty to be satisfied about for Chelsea as they look to retain the crown they won against Manchester City last season.
Despite the win, there was still a lot of discussion around a man that wasn't even playing. Chelsea's record signing Lukaku was in the spotlight after his lack of impact at Crystal Palace on Saturday. He touched the ball only seven times in that 1-0 win, one of which was the kick-off. This was the lowest tally for a player completing a full 90 minutes in the Premier League since stats started being recorded in 2003-04.
Despite this, one Chelsea fan told us: "I think the criticism of him has been over the top. He is still a fantastic player but we have struggled to get the best out of him."
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