Defending champions FC Chelsea have confidently reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League despite the fuss about club owner Roman Abramovich.
Team manager Thomas Tuchel’s team routinely won 2-1 (1-1) against the French representative OSC Lille. The pairings in the round of eight will be drawn on Friday (12:00 p.m. / DAZN).
Former Dortmund player Christian Pulisic (45+3) calmed the minds of the Londoners who won the first leg 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Cesar Azpilicueta (71st) made everything clear. The Turkish international striker Burak Yilmaz (38th penalty) initially put Lille in the lead. The northern French also missed the quarter-finals in their seventh premier class participation.
Tuchel tried to take the headlines about the oligarch Abramovich, who was subject to severe sanctions because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, and the unusual need to save with humor: “If I have to drive a seven-seater, then I will do it.” Meanwhile, in the background, consortia are already forming for the billion-dollar takeover of the Blues.
The three German internationals played their usual roles at Chelsea: Kai Havertz as a striker, Antonio Rüdiger in the back three, Timo Werner on the reserve bench.
Chelsea initially relied on control of the game, but a handball in their own penalty area by Italian European champions Jorginho and Yilmaz’s converted penalty suddenly created tension. Shortly before the change of sides, Chelsea combined for the first time quickly and worth seeing over several stations, Pulisic equalized from an acute angle with the Blues’ first shot on goal.
After the break, Lille threw everything forward and had good chances, so Xeka hit the post (63′). However, Chelsea scored the goal through long-time favorite Azpilicueta, who kneed in Mason Mount’s cross.