London (AFP)
Despite a guilty slack late in the game, Chelsea got his ticket to the knockout stages of the Champions League without much force, beating Lille (2-1) on Tuesday.
In the face of the highly reworked Northers, the Londoners had aligned an eleven close to their team-type, if not the first tenure of the season of the German Antonio Rüdiger in defense.
Chelsea knew that with a win, regardless of Ajax-Valencia's result, he would be in the top two.
Faced with a team lacking automation, the Londoners have set the pace, despite the rain all British copiously watering the ground during the first half hour.
Hyper-domineering in the middle with the trio Mateo Kovacic - N'Golo Kanté - Jorginho, Frank Lampard's men had no trouble finding spaces to the opposing surface and shooting positions.
Christian Pulisic made a festival in attack, putting the French defense in agony and the two goals were almost scored as parade.
The first on a Willian overflow followed by a low center tense in the six meters heeled almost carelessly by Tammy Abraham (1-0, 19th).
It was then captain César Azpilicueta, free of any marking, who took the lead of a Pulisic corner to double the stake (2-0, 35th).
But it was when we least expected it that Chelsea dropped its guard a little.
The defense of the Blues, their big weak point, left Jonathan Bamba sinking on the left and center back for Loïc Remy, former club London who remembered the good memory of Stamford Bridge by hitting under the bar (2 -1, 78) to relaunch the suspense on the first shot framed Lille.
They were hardly ever threatened after that but the final whistle was still welcomed with some relief.
Placed in a dense group and badly engaged with a defeat at home against Valencia (0-1) for the first day, but finally fully satisfied with this second place, Chelsea and his "Baby Blues" have grown well!
© 2019 AFP