Lille (dpa) – Economically facing an uncertain future, on the other hand, sportingly on track: The financially troubled Chelsea FC has confidently reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, despite the severe sanctions imposed by the British government.
Coach Thomas Tuchel’s team beat OSC Lille 2-1 (1-1) in the round of 16 second leg. Chelsea won the first leg 2-0.
The Turkish national soccer player Burak Yilmaz (38th minute) put the hosts ahead with a hand penalty. Before the break, former Dortmund player Christian Pulisic (45′ + 3′) equalized for the favorites, and Cesar Azpilicueta (71′) followed suit in the second half.
Juventus Turin, on the other hand, is out after an embarrassing defeat. The Italians lost 3-0 (0-0) to Villarreal at home, both teams had drawn 1-1 in the first leg. This time, Gerard Moreno (78′) scored the goals from the penalty spot, Pau Torres (85′) and Arnaut Danjuma (90′ + 2) also from the penalty spot for the Spaniards, who are now like Chelsea in the quarter-finals. The draw for the games will take place on March 18th.
Situation at Chelsea tense
Regardless, the situation at Chelsea remains tense. The fact that the Blues are under financial pressure was hardly noticeable on the pitch. Tuchel’s team, which started with German internationals Kai Havertz and Antonio Rüdiger, controlled the action early on and let the ball and opponents run free. Only once did Chelsea make a mistake with consequences: Because Jorginho fended off the ball in his own penalty area with his forearm, the referee decided on a penalty after viewing the video images. Yilmaz converted confidently.
There was little hope of a surprise for the French because Pulisic struck just a few minutes later. After a wonderful pass from Jorginho, the American shot the ball into the far corner to equalize. Although Lille were now pushing for the lead again, the visitors scored again: Azpilicuete kneed the final score.
Nevertheless, it is now far from clear how things will continue with Chelsea. Due to the sanctions against club owner Roman Abramovich, the Londoners are not allowed to transfer players, sell tickets and have had to close all fan shops. As a result, Chelsea were able to take fewer staff with them than usual after Lille. Although some prospective buyers have already reported, many question marks remain.