Chelsea 2-0 Lille player ratings: Thiago Silva proves age is but a number
By Joseph Joe
Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Lille began on a positive note on Tuesday. The Blues take a comfortable 2-0 advantage into the second leg in three weeks’ time, courtesy of goals from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic. Thomas Tuchel had the team firing as a unit in the familiar 3-4-3 formation as Chelsea kept its fifth straight Champions League clean sheet at home against les Dogues, despite not having some of its best players.
Here is how each player fared in the victory over Lille:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 8/10
The first half was quite busy for Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy as he was forced into making some smart saves, including a clearance to keep the Blues in the game. The second half, opposed to the first, was much quieter as the reigning Champions of Europe controlled the contest. Another clean sheet for the Senegal international in the UEFA Champions League.
Andreas Christensen (Right centerback): 8/10
The Danish defender previously featured against Crystal Palace at the right back position, but this time he was back on the right of the back three for Chelsea. Andreas Christensen helped curtail the attack of Lille forward Johnathan David and he was reliable in his passing as the Blues were decent in that department overall. A fine showing from the 25-year-old overall.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 9/10
The Brazil international easily makes supporters forget his age and shows them that age is really just a number. Thiago Silva—as usual—was at the peak of his defending powers on Tuesday, making vital blocks to make sure the Blues remained in the lead throughout the match. Always at the right place at the right time, he was there to always intercept and break up the Lille attacking play, even giving directions to Christensen, as well. World class is the only way to describe it.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 7/10
The aggressive defender was all fired up for Tuesday night. Although Antonio Rudiger made some slight mistakes throughout, it didn’t cost Chelsea the game. An example of this is when his clearance slightly went over his own crossbar. The second half was much better from the German and it showed the Blues fans why he needs to renew his contract. Not his best, but decent.