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Chelsea and LOSC Lille are all set to try and turn their indifferent start to the UEFA Champions League around as they face each other in a mouthwatering Group H clash on Wednesday.
The Blues narrowly lost their first game in the group, against Valencia, going down to the 74th minute strike from Rodrigo. Even though Chelsea dominated the game, it was a learning experience for Frank Lampard who will be hoping to avoid a similar result on Wednesday.
Lille endured similar fortunes in their opening game of the Champions League, going down 3-0 to Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena. The Great Danes were down as early as 18th minute to a Quincy Anton Promes strike before goals from Edson Alvarez and Nicolas Tagliafico in the second half took the game away from the Ligue 1 side.
Lille would be equally motivated to get a positive result on Wednesday night.
Both teams also have a similar record in their respective leagues. Chelsea are currently 7th in the Premier League, having won 3 of their 7 games so far, while Lille are 4th in the Ligue 1 table, winning 4 of their 8 league games. However, Chelsea come into the game with a better run of form and as such, have an edge in the tie.
Lampard’s team has been improving with every passing game, and the Englishman has used the right mixture of youth and experience in his first eleven so far.
After two back-to-back defeats against Valencia and Liverpool, Chelsea got back to winning ways against Grimsby Town last week, in the Carabao Cup. The Premier League side won the game 7-1 and progressed into the next round.
Last weekend, Chelsea overcame a spirited Brighton and Hove Albion side 2-0 in the Premier League, thanks to goals from Jorginho and Willian.
Lille, on the other hand, have responded well to star player Nicolas Pepe’s departure in the summer, and have played some entertaining football in the Ligue 1. However, they arrive into the game with just 1 win in their last 4 games.
Even though they have home advantage, that might not be enough to stop the Chelsea bandwagon on Wednesday. Lampard’s defensive worries could continue against the Ligue 1 side, but he has enough firepower in his attack to secure an away win.
Predicted Final Score: Lille 1-2 Chelsea
