Lille vs Chelsea Champions League Prediction & Picks (Wednesday, March 16)

Three weeks ago, Chelsea beat Lille 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. On Wednesday, March 16, it’s up to the French team to try and win. Lille players will have the fan support on their side at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but talent-wise, the reigning Champions League champ has the advantage.

Beating Chelsea is a Herculean task on its own, but Lille needs to do it by at least three goals difference to qualify for the UCL quarterfinals. This explains why soccer bookmakers are giving odds of 22.00 on Lille qualifying for the next phase.

Still, stranger things have happened in this competition, suggesting that in-form Lille does stand a chance against the English team. Add to that the fact that Chelsea players and staff probably aren’t in the best mood following the Roman Abramovich saga and you’ll realize that the French club mustn’t be written off.

The odds on Chelsea qualifying for the Champions League quarterfinals are 1.01 at 888sport, suggesting that this sportsbook’s oddsmakers think there’s no way Lille can win by two or more goals on Wednesday.

I agree with them, although I don’t think Chelsea should be thought of as a favorite to win in 90 minutes. They think of Chelsea as a 1.85 favorite despite playing on the road and having all sorts of problems off the pitch. Further, Chelsea’s opponent is a team that’s been playing excellent soccer lately.

The reigning Ligue 1 champion started the 2021-22 campaign poorly, dropping points in too many games of the French top-flight. As a result, it’s now almost impossible for them to defend the title despite the fact that they’ve improved their form significantly since the start of the year.

In the French domestic league, this team is without a loss in five games, winning three and drawing two. In those five games, Lille scored a total of six goals while keeping a clean sheet every single time. Their defense could do well on Wednesday, but it’s their offense that needs to step up. After all, Lille needs to score two goals just to take the game to extra time.

So, can these guys do it? I think they can definitely score a goal and the man who I think will do it is Canadian forward Jonathan David. Lille’s no.9 has been sensational this season, putting away 16 goals in the 36 games in all competitions. He did enter a goal drought at the start of the year, but ten days ago, he bagged one against Clermont in the French league.

Drought over. Jonathan David's first goal in nine games, his 16th of the season. That Renato Sanches assist though… ? pic.twitter.com/9Jw7s9hKA7

— Get French Football News (@GFFN) March 8, 2022

David failed to score in the first game against Chelsea, even though he and his teammates made more goal chances than the Blues. This time, with the help of their fans, I think they can find the net. The question is whether they can find it enough times to outscore Chelsea on aggregate?

The owner of Chelsea Roman Abramovich is officially sanctioned by the UK Government and all of his assets are frozen, including the soccer club. In simple terms, this means that Chelsea is in trouble.

The longer explanation is that the club is forbidden to sign new players or renew existing contracts. Chelsea also mustn’t sell additional tickets to fans, nor spend more than $26,000 on travel, which put their trip to Lille under question.

On the bright side for Chelsea fans, the Blues have been playing very well lately despite all the media frenzy regarding the club owner. In fact, they have all wins in their previous four matches. Unfortunately for Chelsea fans, there’s a caveat – the Blues played against much weaker opponents in those games.

First, they defeated Luton, a Championship team, in the FA Cup with a 3-2 score. The next three games were played in the English Premier League – against Burnley, Norwich, and Newcastle. All three of those teams are currently sitting either in the relegation zone or close to it.

My prediction is that Lille players aren’t going to embarrass themselves on Wednesday. If they’re going to lose, it won’t be a blowout loss. Still, I think it’s a good chance they’ll get a draw or even beat Chelsea.

Therefore, my betting pick is Lille (+1), which is available at 10Bet and other sportsbooks at odds of 1.50. With this bet, you will win if Lille wins or the game finishes in a tie. And if Lille loses by a single goal, you get your stake back. I say that’s a pretty good deal!