Chelsea vs. Lille: Preview and betting tips

The Champions League semi-finals brought together defending champions Chelsea from the English Premier League and current French Ligue 1 champions LOSC Lille. The London club will be the home team in the first leg, with the rematch taking place next month.

Chelsea extended their unbeaten streak to six games on Saturday, beating Crystal Palace 1-0. In the last six matches, they have won five times and drawn once. However, some games are not very convincing.

Chelsea recently won the Club World Cup, which they qualified for just by winning the Champions League. Since that triumph, however, Chelsea have not been performing at their best. In the match against Crystal Palace, they scored a goal only at the end of the match.

Chelsea has a great record against French teams on the European stage. Out of ten home games against teams from France, Chelsea players managed to win six times, draw three times and lose only once. Five of these six wins were with a clean sheet. They faced Lille in 2019, with Chelsea winning both matches 2-1.

Lille have struggled in the domestic league so far. It certainly doesn’t look like the team that celebrated the championship title last year. They are currently in tenth position. They have two wins, two draws and one defeat in their last five games.

Lille does not have a good experience with opponents from England. Out of the twelve matches against the English side so far, Lille have won only twice, drawn three times and lost seven times. Moreover, both wins came before 2010.

But the season is not lost. A possible success in the millionaire competition would certainly give it the necessary shine. Lille will be looking to build on the three consecutive wins in the LM group stage that catapulted them into the knockout fights. The two wins came on the pitches of tough opponents in Seville and Wolfsburg.

Lille, however, has a problem on the defensive end. In the last seven Champions League away games, this team has failed to keep a zero. In addition, now coming to London against a strong Chelsea, the fight for a clean sheet will be very difficult.

Chelsea are the clear favourites for the opening game of the Champions League semi-finals. They should easily defeat Lille and go for the win to advance. However, we must not forget that Bayern Munich, as a big favourite, faltered in their first game against Salzburg. Chelsea, however, will make sure that another surprise does not take place.