Lille not the same team as last year but still rise up in big games and could shock Chelsea - Inside Europe
Published 21/02/2022 at 12:44 GMT
Ahead of the last 16 Champions League clash between holders Chelsea and defending Ligue 1 champions Lille, Pete Sharland gets in touch with Cyril Morin from Eurosport France to get the lowdown on what’s going on with Jocelyn Gourvennec’s side so far this season. Who are the dangermen? Where are the weak points? Read on to find out!
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Image credit: Eurosport
On Tuesday evening Chelsea will welcome Lille to Stamford Bridge for the first leg of their last 16 Champions League knockout match.
This will be the third and fourth time that the two clubs have played each other, after Chelsea recorded two 2-1 victories during the 2019-20 Champions League group stage, with Tammy Abraham scoring in both matches.
Of course the two sides have another link in Eden Hazard, a legend for both sides, but in an era where big sides play each other more and more often there is a degree of relative unknown in this tie, a real lack of familiarity.
Fans will know that Lille were one of the best stories in Europe, winning Ligue 1 against the backdrop of the riches of PSG, their first title since Hazard left the team. But how have they been getting on this season? In order to find out we got in touch with Cyril Morin from Eurosport France.
What’s been going on with Lille this season? They’re down in 11th!
Things have been a bit tricky at Lille for a while, really even during the season they won the league. There have been questions over ownership and how the club is being run, plus they lost manager Christophe Galtier over the summer.
“Yes, definitely because of Galtier’s departure,” Morin says when asked about what’s caused the slump.
“Last year, they experienced a very weird season with a change of president and a new owner. While Lopez [the old owner] and, most importantly, Luis Campos [former sporting director] left the club in the middle of the season and Galtier was the only survivor of this situation.
“He’s a top coach when you want a compact team, very hard to surprise.
Now, it’s Jocelyn Gourvennec who doesn’t have the same charisma nor the same background. But this qualification into the quarter-finals is a big victory for him.
“Regarding players, they only lost Soumaré (Leicester) who was a key player but the main disappearance is the one of striker Burak Yilmaz.
“Last year, he was one of the best players in Ligue 1 but this season, we can’t recognise him. He’s the symbol of what is missing to Lille right now: goals, dedication to the team and the coach and this extra-spirit that was guiding them last year when they were chasing the title.”
Who will be the dangerman? Where’s the weak point?
So with Yilmaz struggling for form who is going to be the dangerman for Lille? Most people suspect it will be Canadian star Jonathan David who has 12 Ligue 1 goals this season. That’s level with Kylian Mbappe and second only to Wissam Ben Yedder across the league.
“Yes, Jonathan David, of course.
He’s among the best strikers in L1 but in 2022, he seems to struggle a bit (no goal for now in the calendar year).
“The game against Chelsea might be more open than what he faces sometimes in L1: with his speed and accuracy, he can hurt Chelsea. He looks like the main threat.”
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Jonathan David
Image credit: Getty Images
And how about the flip side, where can this team be hurt?
“Difficult to say. On big occasions, they managed to raise their level, as we saw it during the group stage.
“It’s a very compact team, very coherent when it’s time to defend. This season, they lose points because of their weak defence sometimes but on big occasions, they were often at a good level. So I’m not sure Chelsea will have millions of opportunities.
Weakpoint? Maybe up front: they struggle to score this season so many times. In front of one of the best defensive teams in Europe, I’m not very optimistic.”
Any other young stars we should be looking out for?
Lille’s scouting is known to be one of the best in Europe and so we asked Morin about any potential young players we should be keeping an eye on during the tie. The last answer may well surprise you.
“Sven Botman: a solid rock, wanted by Newcastle last winter but can go way higher. His duel with Lukaku will be fascinating.
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Botman and Fonte (LOSC Lille) against Kalimuendo (Lens)
Image credit: Imago
“Amadou Onana: Big and strong midfielder but with good technical skills as well. Not sure he will play but interesting to follow his progression.
“Jonathan Bamba: Not exactly new, he’s 25. Was on fire last season but struggled a lot this season. He needs to shine on big occasions to aim higher. Looks like the perfect match. Winger with speed, accuracy and rhythm.
“Hatem Ben Arfa: This might be odd to put him here (34 years old) but if you expect magic from someone, it might be him. He’s one of the biggest talents France has ever created but didn’t have the career he was supposed to. But definitely one player that can decide a game with a magic trick. Maybe more as an X-factor than as a starter but be careful, you never know what to expect with him.”
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