The stakes are high for the Eden Hazard Derby.
After their bitterly disappointing defeat at home to Valencia in their Champions League opener, this trip to Lille looks absolutely crucial for Chelsea – particularly considering they have a double-header against Ajax coming straight after this.
It remains to be seen whether the Blues end up ruing Ross Barkley’s missed penalty, but this trip to France could prove very tricky indeed.
Lille were handed a little bit of a football lesson by Ajax in their first game, falling 3-0, but they’ve not performed on the road domestically either—earning just two points from their four Ligue 1 away games—but at home they look very strong.
Les Dogues have won all four of their home matches—scoring at least twice every time—although Chelsea have bagged eight goals in their last two on the road against Wolves and Norwich.
Ultimately (despite keeping a clean sheet against Brighton), Chelsea still look suspect at the back, and at Stade Pierre-Mauroy I can see little to separate the two sides.
Lille are strong at home, Chelsea are probably the stronger side, so a draw at 11/4 is surely the play with the best value.
If you want even more value, backing 1-1 as the correct score looks a really strong bet.
While Chelsea have certainly not struggled in front of goal in recent weeks, Lille have only conceded twice at home this campaign, and the high-stakes nature of the match (with both sides currently pointless in an already-tough group), means a certain level of circumspection is required.
A draw will mean both sides live to fight another day.
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