Match report as goals in either half from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic give Chelsea the advantage in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Lille; Romelu Lukaku is an unused substitute following his anonymous display against Crystal Palace
Wednesday 23 February 2022 06:06, UK
Chelsea seized control of their Champions League last-16 tie with Lille as goals from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic secured a 2-0 win in the first leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Havertz had already missed two good chances when he rose to meet Hakim Ziyech's corner unmarked to put Chelsea in front after eight minutes, and while Lille impressed throughout this opening leg, it was the home side who would extend their advantage when Pulisic ran onto N'Golo Kante's pass to beat Leo Jardim (63).
Romelu Lukaku, who produced just seven touches during the full 90 minutes of Chelsea's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League, was an unused substitute as Havertz bristled with confidence in the false nine role.
Thomas Tuchel watched on animated but with his decisions vindicated as the Champions League holders - and newly crowned club world champions - defended resolutely to preserve another clean sheet, but the second-half withdrawals of Mateo Kovacic and Ziyech through injuries placed a slight dampener on an otherwise routine night.
The pair must surely now be doubtful for Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, live on Sky Sports. Despite finishing second to Juventus in Group G, this was the perfect response and Chelsea can head to France for the return leg at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on March 16 feeling they already have one foot in the quarter-finals.
French champions Lille headed for west London hoping history didn't repeat itself. The sides last met in the group stage of the competition during the 2019/20 season with Chelsea winning 2-1 both home and away.
Jocelyn Gourvennec replaced Christophe Galtier as manager last summer and guided Lille to the knockout stage for just the second time and the first since 2006/07, when they lost 2-0 on aggregate to Manchester United.
Chelsea showed off the Club World Cup trophy prior to kick-off, and the French side ought to have fallen behind inside the opening five minutes when Havertz lifted his close-range shot over from Cesar Azpilicueta's low delivery.
With his second attempt, Havertz was found by Pulisic to cap a slick counter-attack, but having stepped inside Newcastle target Sven Botman, the German was denied by Jardim's outstretched arm.
Lille failed to heed the warning of Havertz, as from the ensuing corner from Ziyech, the man who scored the winning goal in both the Champions League final last May and Club World Cup rose unmarked to plant his header into the net.
Lille currently lie in 11th place in Ligue 1, 23 points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain, but emerged from Group G as winners on the back of three successive victories having taken only two points from their first three fixtures.
They slowly grew into this contest, too, with Chelsea's tempo dropping off to the dismay of Tuchel.
Antonio Rudiger was fortunate to slice a clearance from Renato Sanches' cross just over his own crossbar while Benjamin Andre's shot from the edge of the box was tame and straight at Edouard Mendy.
Sanches was Lille's standout performer, a far better player than when he once picked out the red part of the Carabao Cup advertising hoarding here playing for Swansea in November 2017. He dropped his shoulder to lose Kovacic, but his shot was off target.
Chelsea needed to up it - and they emerged from the restart re-energised as Jose Fonte was forced to block a Pulisic shot within the opening 60 seconds of the second period.
"Champions of the world!" was sung from all corners of Stamford Bridge as the home fans looked to rouse their players. You wondered whether a one-goal margin would be enough for Chelsea, even without the away goals rule at play, and the withdrawal of Kovacic and then Ziyech through injury added to lingering concerns.
But any growing agitation was eased when Pulisic doubled the home side's lead. Kante was instrumental as he latched onto Thiago Silva's interception to release Pulisic and, after holding off the retreating Lille defence, he opened up his body and lifted his shot beyond Jardim.
Tuchel sat back down, content at the tactical switch of bringing on Saul Niguez for the injured Ziyech instead of looking to a more offensive player in Timo Werner or Lukaku. The Belgian would stay firmly rooted to the bench.
Chelsea only conceded two goals in the knockout stages last season en route to lifting the trophy in Porto. Following a winter break longer than most Premier League teams, and despite playing at home in the first leg of their last-16 tie, they are well placed to progress deep once more into this year's competition.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel: "We had very strong periods in the first 10 minutes but we also had periods when it was totally gone from one minute to another. Sometimes there was a lack of fluidity and decision-making but we recovered from it.
"It's the story at the moment but there were many good things. If we can make the good minutes longer with a bit more consistency, this is the next step. This was a very well prepared opponent today, they were very physical. We didn't allow big chances and this was the feeling throughout the whole match."
On Havertz, Tuchel said: "I'm really pleased for Kai. His effort, his work rate and the volume of the areas of the pitch he covers for us is immense and very good. He's never shy of defending. We had a very aggressive high line with Hakim. The formation was set to have intensity with a high work consistently throughout the match and they all did very good.
"It was another clean sheet and a well-deserved clean sheet. It was hard work to not allow chances to a strong team. It was a bit up and down, some very good moments, some weaker moments, some unforced errors, but we never gave big chances away.
"It is almost like the story of the season: every second game we do substitutions only because of injuries and not because of tactical reasons. It follows us. There are a lot of days for us to recover [for Sunday]. Let's see, I hope the guys will be ready for Sunday."
Chelsea's Kai Havertz told BT Sport:
"We knew that it was a difficult game, they played good football and the first half was very difficult for us. Now it is half-time and the next game we have to win as well.
"I always give my best also in the Premier League, sometimes you have more luck, sometimes you don't and I help where I can.
"It is good for me (playing advanced forward). We have a lot of good strikers so it is also good to have a change and not make it easy for the opposition. Today it worked good and I enjoy every forward position.
"We did not play our best football, we could not get the aggressiveness of the last few weeks but we won 2-0 and that is the most important thing. Sunday is another competition and we have to focus on that now.
"It is crazy, we have a lot of chances to win another trophy on Sunday, it will be a tough game. We will put all our strength together and hope we win this game."
There are no thrills, no fanfare when it comes to Kante but, in challenging circumstances, he rose to the occasion once more. Like he did in the Champions League final against Manchester City, he was named the official man of the match by sponsors and it is hard to disagree.
With Kovacic and Ziyech both going off, Tuchel had to pass on several instructions to his players but never to Kante. He just knows how to adapt.
His decision-making is always sublime and the weight of pass for Pulisic to score was inch-perfect. Thiago Silva was yet again immense at the back but it was Kante whose understated brilliance is pivotal to Chelsea's chances of retaining their title.
On Kante, Tuchel added: "He had some problems in the last few weeks to find his strength and rhythm after but he was back on his top level and grew into the game. He had a huge impact and it wasn't surprise. Today he found his rhythm and it was a top performance."
No Chelsea player has more assists in all competitions in 2022 than Kanté (3, level with Mason Mount), with the Frenchman delivering as many assists this year as he managed in 2020 and 2021 combined (3 in 75 appearances).
Chelsea face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event; kick-off is at 4.30pm. Lille visit Lyon on Sunday in Ligue 1 at 7.45pm.
The return leg takes place at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Wednesday March 16 at 8pm.
