Lille suffers the law of Chelsea

How cruel for Losc!

Not ridiculous in the game, the French champion club has nevertheless lost its footing on the lawn of the reigning European champions, picked by Kai Havertz (8th) and Christian Pulisic (63rd) on two errors.

The score is more severe than the scenario of the meeting and it is the main regret for the Mastiffs, who tried a lot, like Renato Sanches, but never really worried the Blues.

"We are in the game, we have opportunities but at this level, you have to score," said Lille captain José Fonte on Canal + Sport.

"We have a second game left and we will prepare to do much better."

Beating the club recently crowned world champion promised to be a summit?

It is now an Everest that Lille will have to climb on March 16 in the second round if the club wants to reach the first quarter-final in its history, fifteen years after being eliminated by Manchester United during their first foray into the round of 16 (1 -0, 1-0) in 2007.

And failing to shine, here is Chelsea launched towards the European top 8 in a crucial week where the Blues will face Liverpool in the final of the English League Cup on Sunday.

The matches and results of the round of 16 of the 2021-2022 Champions League Vincent LEFAI AFP

"We didn't play our best football," admitted Kai Havertz. this is the main."

At Stamford Bridge, Lille did not make it easy by quickly conceding a goal, on a header from Havertz, left free from any marking on a corner (8th).

A careless error which cost Lille dearly, yet rather inspired in the first period, in the wake of their master to play Renato Sanches.

Often slowed down by injuries, the Portuguese rocked the European champions with his ball-to-foot breakthroughs.

But he was quite alone and in the second half it was again Chelsea who were the most realistic on a counter flash: ball stolen from the Blues half of the field, breakthrough from N'Golo Kanté, and pass from the Frenchman at the end of the race to Christian Pulisic for the second goal (63rd).

The Lille defense bows on Kai Havertz's goal from a corner for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, February 22, 2022 Glyn KIRK IKIMAGES / AFP

Enough to show Lille the path that remains to be traveled to reach the European elite...

The flash Vlahovic insufficient for Juve

Nothing is decided between Juventus Turin and Villarreal, back to back at the Ceramics stadium (1-1), despite a dream start to the match for the "Old Lady" and her rookie Dusan Vlahovic, neophyte in C1 and goalscorer after just 33 seconds!

Juve had all the cards in hand after this early goal but the equalizer from Dani Parejo (66th) complicates the equation for the Turinese, who dream of reaching the quarters after two consecutive failures in the past two seasons.

Vlahovic (22), for whom it was the first Champions League match, wasted no time by opening the scoring with a cross shot (1st minute).

Enough to prove the Turin club right to have invested 70 M EUR in January to attract the Fiorentina striker.

Dusan Vlahovic opens the scoring for Juventus against Villarreal in the Champions League at La Ceramica, February 22, 2022 JAVIER SORIANO AFP

It's not the fastest goal in the history of Europe's premier event, scored in 2006-2007 by Dutchman Roy Makaay after 10 seconds, but it's already quite a feat.

"It was really something very beautiful, because it was really exciting to play my first Champions League game tonight. But I'm not 100% happy because we didn't win," said commented the young Serbian striker.

Because Juve may have managed this advantage a little too much and Villarreal, winner of the Europa League 2021, ended up coming back: Parejo, alone in the box, sent an instantaneous shot close to the post (66th) and preserved the suspense until the return match on March 16.

© 2022 AFP