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Champions League: the keys to a potential Lille exploit against Chelsea

2022-02-23T16:52:30.041Z


DECRYPTION – Lille ran into a wall on Tuesday, against Chelsea, and will have to achieve a feat on March 16. Impossible mission ?


The Lille aimed to "

offer chances for the return match

" Tuesday, at Stamford Bridge, as Jocelyn Gourvennec had indicated on Monday.

Missed.

Although, with the away goal advantage ending, a 2-0 away loss isn't as bad as it would have been last season.

One thing is certain: the Mastiffs, who have generally "

answered present

" in London and have "

not to be ashamed

" of their performance, according to Gourvennec, believe in it.

To discover

  • Champions League fixtures and results

We will do everything to try to make a big match in front of our home crowd on the return

,” swears Benjamin André.

Football remains football, sometimes things happen

,” adds Gourvennec.

Jonathan David meanwhile promises that "

nothing is done yet

" and José Fonte assures that "

everything is possible

".

Coué method or real hope?

Obviously, "

Chelsea will always be a big team on the return

", as Gourvennec reminds us.

We shouldn't expect a drop in speed from N'Golo Kanté and company, who weren't at the top on Tuesday evening.

It will therefore be up to Lille to raise their voices in the return match.

And rather twice than once, as the gap appeared large.

Read alsoThe notes of Lille at Chelsea: Sanches too alone, Xeka too short

More efficiency and aggressiveness

"

We played, we attacked, we showed good things, but efficiency was on their side

", plague the Lille coach.

Indeed, Lille did not have cold feet and Chelsea could not deploy their game with fluidity on Tuesday evening.

Moreover, Losc hit more than their hosts (15 strikes to 9).

Except that Chelsea have framed four times, against two.

Above all, the Mastiffs didn't really have a clear chance, while the Blues could easily have scored more goals with even more accuracy in front of Léo Jardim's goal...

Still, Lille will have to be more effective offensively and above all more “

killer

” as Fonte said, more incisive.

"

You have to kill, be more efficient, aggressive with the ball

", notes the northern captain, while André believes that his team would have "

could have put them in more difficulty

" by "

pressing a little more

" and "

playing some shots better

”.

We will have to make the right choice in the last gesture.

We weren't aggressive enough on set pieces either, I think there were opportunities

, ”he continues.

"

It's a good team tactically and defensively, it's hard to create opportunities.

We had a few.

We could have played them better, fairer

, “says David, who was not often found on Tuesday.

In summary, the Dogues will have to win by biting for the meeting of March 16, in Pierre-Mauroy.

Read alsoChelsea-Lille: favorites and claws of our special correspondent at Stamford Bridge

Limit errors

It has been said: Chelsea shone more by the solidity of its block than by the flamboyance of its offensive game.

The man of the match?

N'Golo Kanté, a collector.

That says it all… In the end, Lille conceded “

avoidable goals.

We are not beaten on class gestures but on a corner and a magnificently played counter

”, squeaks Jocelyn Gourvennec.

Two errors equals two goals

,” confirms Jonathan David.

In fact, Losc made more than two errors at Stamford Bridge.

Technical errors which could be reduced with more attacking profiles of players, for example an attacker in the place occupied on Tuesday by Amadou Onana, perhaps Gabriel Gudmundsson in that of Tiago Djalo.

Easy to say, you still need solidity against these blue devils...

Especially since these errors are also and above all due to the pressure imposed by Chelsea on all levels, to the rhythm and speed of execution that the London team imposes.

"

We touch as many balls as they do in the box, but they were very effective, formidable on the few balls we gave them back... We made very few mistakes but that's two goals

", sums up Gourvennec, foreseeing that "

the objective will be to redo a tough match, very solid defensively and giving very little because they are very skilful

".

Chick?

Read alsoChampions League: Kanté, the "game changer" of the Chelsea machine

Help for Sanches

If Jonathan David or Sven Botman are called upon to join a club of a higher standard next summer, Renato Sanches is the only Lille resident who has demonstrated his belonging to the caste of the big ones.

We left Stamford Bridge thinking that he wouldn't have gone wrong if he was part of the opposite camp... "

He's a special player

», sums up Jocelyn Gourvennec.

It will take help from the 24-year-old Portuguese, in terms of technical qualities with the ball, to dream of a feat on March 16.

This could go through the Hatem Ben Arfa bet in support of David, the return to grace of Burak Yilmaz perhaps.

In legs but clumsy, Jonathan Bamba has room for improvement.

Individually, it will in any case be necessary to do a little more, a little better, a little stronger, faster.

Recall that said Sanches was not sure to start on Tuesday morning, he who only resumed play last Friday against Metz (0-0), entering in the 82nd.

We had prepared the match thinking that it could not start and finally it was able to do so.

Given the few full sessions he has been able to do for a while, he has been very present

“Notes Gourvennec, who can count on a more fit Sanches on March 16.

Read alsoChampions League: “We have to believe in our chances” assures Gourvennec, “deserved victory” for Tuchel

Ignite the game

To overthrow Chelsea and achieve the feat of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the people of Lille will also (and above all?) have to rely... on the irrational.

Everything indicates that the Blues are superior to them, in all areas.

It will therefore be appropriate to put madness and rely on that of a Pierre-Mauroy stadium that we already imagine as full as boiling.

"

We will do everything to try to make a big match in front of our home crowd on the return.

(…) There is always a possibility… It will be complicated.

We face Chelsea, European and world champion, everyone expected a difficult match.

We must keep hope.

It will be at home, in our stadium, in front of our supporters.

Believing in it is the magic of football.

If we are lucky enough to open the scoring quickly, we will see how it goes … It will be complicated but we will give everything

, ”says Benjamin André.

This first goal will indeed be essential to tip Villeneuve-d'Ascq into madness.

We can very well do as they did, that is to say open the scoring from a corner.

We had the first tonight, they score on their first and that unlocks a situation... We know that by leading 1-0, we wouldn't be very far... We have to believe in ourselves, believe in our chances , even if the opponent is of very high quality

, ”slips coach Gourvennec.

The supporters will push us and we will give everything

,” promises Jonathan David.

It will be with us, with our supporters.

It's still a football match, 11 against 11. You never know what can happen… We have the quality to hurt

, ”says José Fonte.

And the Portuguese, experienced in English games, added: "

We must keep hope and quickly bounce back with a match in Lyon this weekend.

The return will be very complicated, it will be necessary to do a faultless one.

" All is said.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2022-02-23

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