How long will this header from Xeka in the 63rd minute on the post haunt the minds of Lille? Lille led on Wednesday night against the reigning European champions. He even almost regained the advantage on the hour mark to afford a monumental end to the match. But the right amount of Édouard Mendy did not flinch. Chelsea rounded their backs and struck on the counter thanks to a center from Mount and a knee recovery from Azpilicueta.
We can read the scenario of this round of 16 second leg of the Champions League lost by Lille (1-2) in two ways. That of a long-held hope and a spoiled public. But also from an objectively too high step on the whole of the double confrontation. For Jocelyn Gourvennec, it is bitterness that predominates. “We were on the verge of having a grandiose scenario. It does not change for us, it is very hard at least to lose this match. We did not deserve to lose, at least to make a draw, ”said the Breton.
“We lived up to the event twice but we weren’t dangerous enough at Stamford Bridge (2-0) despite a full and consistent match. Tonight, we made Chelsea falter, I think, but they didn’t fall because it’s a great team that knew how to cope.
“Nobody was waiting for us there”, welcomes Onana
High pressure while advancing, efficiency in recovery… Losc, 6th in Ligue 1, showed some interesting things. We will now have to reproduce them (finally) in the league to hope to qualify again for Europe. To relive such levels of intensity and emotion, the midfielder Amadou Onana is waiting for it. Returned after Botman’s injury, he retained these “chills” in Pierre-Mauroy’s cauldron when Burak Yilmaz (38th) opened the scoring.
And more generally this “pride” to have given everything even after the “blow on the head” represented by the equalization of Pulisic just before returning to the locker room (45 + 3rd). “We had a good, intense match. If we go home with 1-0, everything could change, the same thing with the head of Xeka and this exceptional public, everything could change. I am very proud of our journey as a team, no one was expecting us there,” repeated the Belgian.
“More can always be done,” he continued. We had a not perfect but very good match. We will try to repeat it in Ligue 1. Chelsea plays fairly dominant football with players of extraordinary quality. Let’s be proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Thomas Tuchel’s smile in the post-match conference showed how much Losc had offered real adversity. Unfortunately, as for two weeks, the questions he was asked were not really about the field. There has once again been talk of the club’s uncertain future in the face of European sanctions which are jeopardizing the ownership of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. “You kinda ruined my evening, I was in a pretty good mood, said the former PSG technician when the billionaire could have his Portuguese passport withdrawn. I am very proud tonight. The fans are waiting for us outside, there is a real communion with them”.
Jocelyn Gourvennec also wanted to congratulate the English trapped in issues beyond them. “Even if we shook them, they should be congratulated. They are in a dire situation. They hang on and they fight in the Premier League. And tonight again, they hung on and they fought.