Chelsea FC continues their Champions League championship defense today against Lille in the first leg of their last-16 encounter.
It’s the start of a big week for the Blues, who will meet Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday.
After finishing second in Group H behind Juventus, the European and world champions are in the last-16 for the first time.
Lille finished first in Group G, ahead of RB Salzburg, Sevilla, and Wolfsburg, and are looking to shock the world.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs Lille will take off at 8 p.m. GMT tonight, Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
The match will be held at Stamford Bridge in London.
Chelsea vs Lille team news
Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea’s captain, is expected to return this evening after missing Saturday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace due to injury.
Mason Mount is aiming to be fit for the Carabao Cup Final, but the Lille match will come too soon for him as he recovers from an ankle injury, despite returning to team training on Monday.
Chelsea will also be missing Callum Hudson-Odoi, who missed the game against Palace, as well as Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
Tuchel disclosed on Saturday that six of his players had colds as a result of the air conditioning on the journey home from the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Chelsea wins: 2
Draws: 0
Lille wins: 0
Last meeting: Chelsea 2-1 Lille (December 10, 2019)
Chelsea vs Lille prediction
Chelsea may have lost ground at the top of the Premier League, but they continue to shine in cup competitions and are among the favorites to win the Champions League once more, especially if Tuchel can figure out how to get Romelu Lukaku to score on a more consistent basis.
Lille has had a difficult time defending their French title, and the Blues should have too much for a team in 11th place in Ligue 1.
Chelsea will win by a score of 2-0.
