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.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Right wingback): 7/10
Mr. Reliable may not be as energetic and fluid as his defensive partner Reece James, but he definitely helps the team out when called upon. This was evident in the initial three minutes when he created a good chance for Kai Havertz, which the German unfortunately couldn’t put away. Cesar Azpilicueta was a constant outlet for the Blues and showed us why Barcelona are still doing everything in its power to bring the Spanish defender to Camp Nou, even given his age.
N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 9/10
Ever heard the saying “80 percent of the Earth is covered by water and the rest, N’Golo Kante”? Well, Tuesday showed why the saying is so widely known. Kante was a constant outlet in the game. His passing—long and short range—and drive forward were nothing but excellent. He provided the assist for Christian Pulisic in the second half and crowned it off with yet another Man of the Match award in a Champions League knockout stage match. Simply saying that Kante is extremely brilliant is not really enough to describe the Frenchman.
Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 6/10
After an injury scare in the opening 10 minutes, Mateo Kovacic continued on in the game. Although the Croatian lacked his usual energy and drive, he contributed little to the team and only made one appearance in the Lille defensive third. He was eventually subbed of in the 50′ for Ruben Loftus-Cheek with an injury, one the Blues simply cannot afford to happen right now.
Marcos Alonso (Left wingback): 6/10
The Spaniard struggled in the opening period of the match. Marcos Alonso was constantly caught out of position by passes over his head and that definitely left a negative mark on his game. He was a little better in the second half and a bit reserved going forward. Seeing him in the starting XI for Chelsea’s next game would sure be a surprise after his display against Lille.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Central midfielder): 7/10
Loftus-Cheek played at the base of the midfield with Kante after coming on for an injured Kovacic. The Englishman showed some brilliant flashes of the dribbling abilities he is known for during his extended substitute appearance.
Saul (Central midfielder): 6/10
Saul was brought on in the 58′. Overall, he didn’t have much to do, although he was given the nod to go forward seeing as he replaced Hakim Ziyech. The Spaniard helped Chelsea see out the game.
Malang Sarr (Left wingback): N/A
Malang Sarr was brought on in the 80′ to help the Blues see out the game with a clean sheet.
Hakim Ziyech (Right winger): 7/10
Ziyech was undoubtedly Chelsea’s most in-form attacker going into the game. The Moroccan tallied an assist with his cross to Havertz to open the Blues’ scoring. Ziyech was constantly an outlet for a lot of attacking plays. Overall, he was a bit wasteful in the opening period as he was always going to cut back to his left foot and that led to missed clear-cut chances. Unfortunately, Ziyech picked up an injury in the second half and he had to be replaced by Saul. Fingers crossed it’s not as bad as fans think.
Kai Havertz (Center forward): 8/10
Havertz started in place of the “struggling” Romelu Lukaku on Tuesday. He paid back Tuchel’s trust in him with a goal almost immediately as he fired the Blues ahead in the opening 10 minutes of the contest. The German could have had a brace or even a hat-trick in the first half if he was more clinical, but he performed well all things considered. Havertz worked hard throughout the game and he was a handful for the Lille defense. A decent performance for the “No. 9”.
Christian Pulisic (Left winger): 8/10
Pulisic finally started a game on his favorite wing—the left. Overall, the American was bright as he had a couple of nice dribbles and turns when on the ball throughout the game. The youngster began linking up play a bit more in the second half and got his goal from a Kante pass. It was a very good performance from the one that perhaps needed it the most.
Timo Werner (Center forward): 6/10
Timo Werner came on in the 80′. The German forward didn’t have much of a chance to add anything to the game, but did manage to involve himself a handful of times.
What would you rate each of the players for their performances against Lille? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!