From our special correspondent in London,
We can turn the problem around in all directions, it is difficult to see how Losc could reverse the trend in three weeks at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium. Beaten 2-0 on Tuesday on the lawn of Chelsea in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, Lille did not deserve but seemed a notch below the European champions. So imagining the Mastiffs creating an exploit on March 16 at home seems like science fiction. That’s good, we like that.
Because the end of the away goals rule changes everything
Until this season, a 2-0 defeat in the first leg of the European Cup meant little to dream about. A pawn cashed on the return and it was necessary to plant four to qualify. But with the end of the away goals rule decided by UEFA and applied since this season, no more goals that weighed on your morale and made recovery almost impossible.
“2-0 is not enough, especially with the away goal rule which is no longer there”, admitted N’Golo Kanté at the end of the match. And for good reason. If Chelsea scores a goal in Lille, Losc will have to score three to go into extra time, something impossible in the world before. Good after, Lille should already score a goal for the English but that is another debate.
Because Losc can also score quickly
To erase this handicap of two goals behind, Lille will necessarily have to score quickly. It is in any case the hope of Jocelyn Gourvennec, the Lille coach, questioned about the chances of his team for the return match. “We know that we will have opportunities at home. We can very well open the scoring on our first corner. It unlocks a situation. Score quickly, and lead 1-0, after that we are not very far away, ”begs the coach of Losc.
I promise, to stay positive, he won’t be reminded that Chelsea have kept a clean sheet 14 times in their last 18 Champions League games.
Because the Lille attackers will end up noticing one day
David, Yilmaz, Weah, Gomes, Bamba, Ben Arfa… All these Lille strikers have the same thing in common: none of them has yet scored a single goal in 2022, whether in Ligue 1, Coupe de France or Ligue champions When you want to take out the reigning European champion in a badly embarked return match, it doesn’t give a damn. But hey, David will end up regaining his confidence, Yilmaz may come out of retirement one day and Ben Arfa may still know how to do something with his feet.
Because Lukaku will end up messing up the Chelsea locker room
Did not come into play on Tuesday against Lille, in total lack of confidence with only 7 goals scored since the start of the season, cold with Thomas Tuchel because of his attitude, Romelu Lukaku is becoming Chelsea’s biggest problem. The biggest recruit in the club’s history (115 million euros), who arrived last summer from Inter Milan, clearly has the potential to blow up the English locker room and destabilize the club before returning to Lille. Yes, it’s a bit far-fetched but we try to keep hope.
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