Off Field Problems? No Problem.

Image Source

It's not news any longer with the off-field issues being faced by Chelsea which is translating gradually into onfield as well as it is about to affect a lot of fans for the away games. The owner of Chelsea has been sanctioned by the government for his involvement with Russia which is a stand the government is taking as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea didn't allow that to affect them and they managed to beat Lille by 2-1 after going behind due to a penalty. Chelsea has more experience in this competition and it showed as they were resolute and came from behind to win the game. They had done the job in the first leg as well after a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea is benefitting from the brilliance of Thiago Silva and that's one of the major reasons why they bought him despite his advanced years. He has proved to be reliable and he is a good reader of the ball. He has saved goalmouth efforts that were destined to score and then prevented a lot too from moving close. After Chelsea lost possession and Yilmaz took a shot at the goal, it was Thiago Silva who threw his head in it to stop the effort from getting close to the goalkeeper.

Lille got the penalty they shouted for after Xeka pushed the ball forward and Jorginho stopped the effort with his hand. VAR again came into it and the referee had to consult the side monitor as we saw with Juventus v Villareal. He gave the penalty in favour of Lille and Yilmaz was the man to do the honours. The stadium came alive for Lille as Yilmaz scored as he beat Mendy for pace and accuracy as many would call it.

Jorginho made amends for giving the penalty away with a clever through pass for Pulisic. Pulisic was smart enough to spot the runs and slotted the ball easily into the net. Sadly, Lille's lead didn't last long and Chelsea were determined to go into the break as they started the game; level. It was the last minute of extra time in the first half and Chelsea would be pleased to have scored.

Bamba got the better of Alonso and his cross into the box found Yilmaz but the big man was unable to steer his header goal-ward. What a goal that would have been had he steered it properly into the back of the net. He missed with just a tiny fraction.

Both teams tried to get ahead of the other as Rudiger's shot missed the base of the post with just a tiny fraction but the real moment of 'wow' came after Yilmaz turned provider with an inviting cross into the box which Xeka couldn't only knock on the post. It was a good delivery, brilliant header too but he was not lucky enough. Mendy couldn't even move which means he was beaten but the post came to Chelsea's rescue. It was luck for Chelsea because he was left unmarked in the area.

Azpilicueta's goal dented the hope for Lille after he scored the goal with his knee, thanks to the good cross in from Mason Mount. That goal settled a nervy game for Chelsea and the dream would continue again for Lille another year. Chelsea got through to the Quarter Finals of the Champions League and their experience counted with that stroke of luck too.

The competition is shaping up and the pairing would come up soon. I am excited to see another cracker of a match that we would be treated to.

Cheers.

Gingered Up! ❣️