All eyes will be on Lille vs Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg (kick off is on Wednesday at 4pm ET) as Thomas Tuchel’s reigning European champs aim to reach the last eight.
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There were some concerns about whether or not Chelsea could play this game following the sanctions imposed on owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government and most recently the European Union due to his close connections to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. However, UEFA believe that Chelsea will be able to fulfil the fixture despite ongoing issues with the temporary licence issued to them by the UK government to continue operating until May 31, 2022, albeit with several restrictions.
Chelsea have a 2-0 lead from the first leg but given all of the uncertainty swirling around the club and its future ahead of this game, Tuchel’s side will be way of an upset. Lille have picked up their form in Ligue 1 in recent weeks as the reigning French champions will not be defending their trophy but they are edging closer to finishing in the top four and are unbeaten in their last five league games and haven’t conceded a goal in that run.
With Jonathan David, Tim Weah, Burak Yilmaz and Jonathan Bamba in attack, plus Sven Botman anchoring their defense, Lille could make this very interesting if they get an early goal in front of their fired-up crowd at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. That said, everyone expects Chelsea to advance as Tuchel’s side have been in great form themselves recently as they’ve won five on the trot in the Premier League to cement third place.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Lille vs Chelsea.
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Lille team news, injuries, lineup options
Renato Sanches is out injured, which is a huge blow for Lille as he dictates the tempo of their play in midfield. That is Lille’s only injury concern as Jocelyn Gourvennec has urged his experienced stars Jose Fonte, Benjamin Andre and Burak Yilmaz to lead his young side to a stunning comeback win.
Chelsea team news, injuries, lineup options
Both Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta are fit for the Blues. That is a huge boost as their experience will be key but they will also give Tuchel valuable options at wing-back. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James are close to a return but may not be ready for this clash.
Lille vs Chelsea odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)
Lille are the massive underdogs at +325 to win. Chelsea are heavy favorites at -115 to win. The draw is +250.
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How to watch Lille vs Chelsea live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 4pm ET, WednesdayTV Channel: Paramount+Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com