"We will have opportunities" - Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec opens up on Chelsea's weak spot they will look to exploit
Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec has claimed to have identified one weak spot in Chelsea that his side could exploit.
The Mastiffs play the reigning European champions at Stamford Bridge tonight in the first leg of their round of 16 clash in the Champions League.
With away goal rules now scrapped, the Ligue 1 holders are feeling confident of their chances despite suffering a loss in form this season.
Chelsea might be favourites going into tonight's Champions League tie against Lille, but the French side aren't going to roll over easily.
They've come to London looking for a result.
Gourvennec, who replaced Christopher Gaultier at the helm of Lille last summer, insists that he hasn't instructed his team to sit back and instead exploit the space left behind when the Blues are on the offensive.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the kick-off, he said:
“Chelsea are strong in both areas. In possession, they have a big technical foundation. They have very strong attacks from the flanks and also strong defensively. They are a very complete team. But they attack a lot, [and] they expose themselves [at the back]."
Lille have lost their defensive prowess of last season, conceding 35 times in the league so far, 12 more than what they shipped throughout their title-winning campaign last time.
But in Europe, the Mastiffs have been solid, letting in only four goals in six group matches.
Chelsea will be wary but Gourvennec has warned that his side will be proactive, instead of merely sitting back and waiting for the game to open up.
“We will have to be solid, but we will have opportunities. We can’t just defend and counter. We also have to be able to keep the ball a little bit. Managing the slower parts of the game will be fundamental,” said the French boss.
The Blues have conceded only twice from counter-attacking situations this season, which isn't bad, although it highlights one possible area of weakness.
However, their attack has been a bigger cause for concern, as Tuchel's side haven't scored more than two goals in a game since the 5-1 demolition of Chesterfield in the FA Cup last month.
Chelsea favorites to progress
Despite all the injuries and performance issues plaguing them, Chelsea are still the favorites to win against Lille.
Will Chelsea beat Lille tomorrow? 💭
Thomas Tuchel speaks ahead of the Champions League last-16 clash 💥 https://t.co/hzveiYjz82
They also hold a head-to-head advantage, having beaten the Mastiffs both home and away in their group stage meetings in the 2019-20 season, winning 2-1 on both occasions. It will be interesting to see if the French champions can pull off something special this time around.