Lille vs Chelsea LIVE: Champions League result and final score after Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta goals
Burak Yilmaz put the French side ahead, but Pulisic and Azpilicueta responded to put the holders into the quarter-finals
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Your support makes all the difference.Holders Chelsea made light of their off-pitch problems to reach the Champions League quarter-finals by beating Lille 2-1 away on Wednesday to complete a 4-1 aggregate victory.
The Premier League side, playing amid sanctions imposed on their Russian owner Roman Abramovich following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, eased through thanks to goals by Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta.
French champions Lille dominated for long spells and opened the scoring thanks to a Burak Yilmaz penalty in the opening half, but lacked precision up front and paid dearly for lapses in concentration.
Chelsea, operating on a special licence from the British government that has limited their spending and impacted their operations, showed great composure to ease into the last eight.
Lille had made the better start to the match.
Jocelyn Gouvennec’s side put Chelsea on the back foot as Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante struggled to take control of the midfield.
Lille were rewarded in the 38th minute when they were awarded a penalty following a VAR review after a Jorginho handball in the area.
The 36-year-old Yilmaz, the third oldest scorer in the Champions League knockout stages after Paolo Maldini and Ryan Giggs, buried the spot-kick into the top corner to give the hosts a deserved lead and high hopes of an upset after losing the first leg 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Lille, who had not conceded a goal in their three Ligue 1 games since the first leg, let their guard down, however, and Chelsea punished them with their first shot on target as Pulisic collected a fine through ball from Jorginho to score with a low shot three minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Although they were hit by injuries which forced Sven Botman and Zeki Celik to leave the pitch, Lille applied more pressure after the break and Yilmaz wasted two clear chances.
Chelsea were far more ruthless and after 71 minutes Mason Mount’s cross bounced off Azpilicueta’s knee into the top corner to end Lille’s hopes of reaching the last eight.
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 18 minutes
N’Golo Kante and Tiago Djalo have a little grapple in the right corner, like judoka, attempting to throw one another off the ball. The decision goes the Lille defender’s way.
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 17 minutes
Nothing particularly clear as of yet for either side, that wild Burak Yilmaz free-kick aside. The Lille striker also troubled Thiago Silva’s upper body with this shot, but the Brazilian was firmly in the way, shields up.
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 15 minutes
Now the visitors have their first spell, working the angles well to work the ball up the pitch but then having the attack decisively ended as Xeka drops a shoulder into Christian Pulisic, allowing a teammate to take the ball.
Gabriel Gudmundsson embarks on another left-ward jaunt, but jams the ball against the legs of a Chelsea defender and then his own - goal kick.
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 16 minutes
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 13 minutes
A calming hand is extended by referee Davide Massa as Burak Yilmaz and his teammates begin to appeal for more punishment after Jorginho brings the Turkish striker down. Chelsea have’t quite settled.
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 12 minutes
Still Lille press high, and Chelsea are just being a little loose in possession. Good start from the hosts.
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 10 minutes
Yilmaz wanders up to strike it with the instep powerfully, but that’s always headed over the crossbar from that distance. A bit of a waste.
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 9 minutes
The Lille press marries nicely with the volume of the home fans, who have not quietened a jot since the game kicked off.
Ooh, danger for Chelsea. Jonathan David is caught on the calf by Andreas Christensen as he gets his body in front of the defender as a ball rolls his way.
This is in perfect free-kick striking position. 25 yards out, central. Could go either way. Burak Yilmaz looks like he fancies it as Edouard Mendy arranges his wall...
Lille 0-0 Chelsea, 7 minutes
An error from Chelsea! Benjamin Andre pilfers the ball inside the Chelsea half and Burak Yilmaz fires against the sternum of Thiago Silva, ricocheting out for a corner.
The delivery is, again, disappointing, though.
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