The Champions League is back with the holders taking on last season's Ligue 1 winners. We have all the stats and facts needed ahead of the knockout stage kick-off...
Chelsea vs Lille head to head
Lille are one of six different French opponents that Chelsea have faced in European competition, all in the Champions League. The others are Marseille, Monaco, PSG, Bordeaux and Rennes.Eden Hazard, Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou all played for Lille either before or after their Chelsea careers.
Chelsea stats
Chelsea's record in the round of 16 is nine wins and six defeats. Last season's victory against Atletico Madrid ended a run of four successive eliminations at this stage.Chelsea have won five consecutive Champions League games at Stamford Bridge while keeping a clean sheet for the first time in our history.Chelsea have won our last four meetings against French sides in European competition, including two against Lille.At home, we have lost one of our 10 games against Ligue 1 opponents, winning six. The defeat was to PSG in 2016 in the Champions League round of 16.The Blues have won one of our four knock-out ties against French clubs which were all in the Champions League. Our one victory came against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2013/14 quarter-finals and our three defeats were against PSG (twice) and Monaco.
Edouard Mendy has kept 13 clean sheets in his 17 Champions League appearances for the Blues and conceded just four goals.Thomas Tuchel has made just one change to our Champions League squad from the group stage – Kenedy has replaced the departed Lewis Baker.Since we lost successive games in September, the Blues have been defeated twice in 31 matches in all competitions, winning 22 of them including one on a penalty shoot-out.
Milestone
Lille stats
Scorers: David 3 (1 pen), Yilmaz 2, Gomes 1, Ikone 1
On Friday, Lille drew 0-0 against second-from-bottom side Metz at home. Lille’s Edon Zhegrova was sent off for two yellows in stoppage time after coming on as a sub in the 81st minute.
Lille have lost one of their last nine away games in all competitions, winning five. In their most recent match on the road against Montpellier, they kept their first away clean sheet since May.Thirty-eight-year-old Jose Fonte has played every minute of Lille’s 2021/22 league campaign; he is the only player in Ligue 1 to achieve this feat.Lille’s squad contains five players who have previously played in England - Jose Fonte (Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham), Jeremy Pied (Southampton), Renato Sanches (Swansea), Angel Gomes (Man Utd) and Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle).
Lille’s major January signings
Hatem Ben Arfa - free agentEdon Zhegrova - Basel
Discipline
There are no suspensions.
If Jose Fonte or Burak Yilmaz are booked they will be suspended for the second leg.
In the Champions League, three yellow cards will result in a one-match-suspension in the competition. Four Lille players have reached this number and have already served a suspension.
Booking list
Lille have received 23 yellow cards in their six Champions League matches this season, the second highest number in this season’s competition.
Chelsea Alonso 1, Azpilicueta 1, Hudson-Odoi 1, Loftus-Cheek 1, Rudiger 1, Thiago Silva 1, Ziyech 1
Lille Ikone 4 (now with Fiorentina), Andre 3, Bamba 3, Xeka 3, Fonte 2, Yilmaz 2, Botman 1, Celik 1, Djalo 1, Grbic 1, Reinildo 1 (now with Atletico Madrid), Yazici 1 (now with CSKA Moscow).