N’Golo Kante replicates Champions League feat as Thomas Tuchel’s upsetting Chelsea curse continues
Chelsea put on one of the most entertaining performances in recent memory against Lille on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge.
Eight minutes in, Kai Havertz’s powerful header from a corner set the tone for a comfortable evening in west London, with Thomas Tuchel’s men looking much more fluid in the final third.
Christian Pulisic’s deft finish to make it 2-0 completed a brilliant counter-attacking move and gives Chelsea a commanding lead heading to France for the second leg next month.
Tuchel made some bold decisions, including leaving Romelu Lukaku on the bench in favor of Havertz, who played in a front three with Hakim Ziyech and Pulisic.
It wasn’t a worry-free night, with some injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.
Tuchel, on the other hand, would have aimed for that in the first leg. Chelsea was effective while also providing some enjoyable entertainment.
Since the beginning of the season, Chelsea has been carefully guarding their French genius in preparation for nights like these.
N’Golo Kante’s incredible performance in the Champions League knockout stage last season catapulted his reputation to new heights, and Tuchel will be hoping he can repeat the feat this season.
This performance was a reminder of his game-changing performances against both Madrid sides last spring.
Surging runs through the center of Lille opened up the pitch for Chelsea and injected much-needed energy, playing a key role in Pulisic’s goal.
Chelsea supporters will be concerned about the fitness of Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic ahead of Sunday’s final after both players were injured in the second half.
Both contributed energy and creativity on the night and would be significant losses for Tuchel.
This season, there has been an alarming increase in the number of injuries sustained by our players in the Champions League.
Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku vs. Malmo, Ben Chilwell and Mateo Kovacic vs. Juve, and now this.
Tuchel usually yells at one Chelsea player per game, and this time it was Marcos Alonso.
The wing-back was frequently exposed down the left side, and Thiago Silva was irritated when he had to spring over to quickly cover the danger.
Alonso had some encouraging moments in the opposing box, but his defending still needs work. Tuchel will have to make a big decision on that team against Liverpool.
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N’Golo Kante replicates Champions League feat as Thomas Tuchel’s upsetting Chelsea curse continues
