Lille vs Chelsea
Champions League
Date: Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Villeneuve d’Ascq).
Lille vs Chelsea preview
One of the most disappointing aspects of the defeat of the Blues' against Valencia was their failure to find the net for the second time in 10 games this campaign.
After scoring 23 goals in their other eight games, they will back themselves to prove that this is just a blip when they take on the opposition's defense that has made just two clean sheets in nine games this season.
However, with only one clean sheet to their name in 10 matches itself, guests can fight at the other end of the field given the team Christophe Galtier has hit the net 25 times in their last eight games at home.
match statistics
Lille will be the fifth different opponents Chelsea face France, with respectively 16 came in the Champions League matches (W5 D5 L6).
Their six Champions League matches against English opposition have all come against Manchester United, with the French club have won just once (D2 L3).
Lille are without a win in eight Champions League home games (D3 L5), since beating AEK Athens in October 2006 (3-1).
Chelsea have won seven games in Group 12 of their last away games in the Champions League (W7 D2 L3), keeping clean sheets in seven occasions.
Chelsea have lost their last two matches in the Champions League - they have never lost three in a row in the competition.
Lille has the youngest starting XI in the first round of Champions League group matches - with an average age of 23 years and 277 days against Ajax.
The two teams with the most shots in the first round of the Champions League this season without scoring were Chelsea (22) and Lille (17).
Frank Lampard could become the second Englishman to lose his first two matches in the Champions League, after Ray Harford in September 1995 with Blackburn Rovers.
Prediction
It will be a big test Chelsea's Frank Lampard. They have faced criticism for their defensive naivety at times, but they are much better at the weekend and the performance is almost perfect. That should give the players a lot of confidence ahead of the trip to France. It is never easy to win away in Europe, but this is a great opportunity for the Premier League side. They must have the quality and momentum to take the three points.
Lille 1-2 Chelsea
