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Chelsea put their off-field troubles to 1 facet to seal a spot within the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday as a Cesar Azpilicueta objective clinched a 2-1 win at Lille within the second leg of their last-16 tie, and a 4-1 mixture victory.
Reeling from the influence of UK authorities sanctions imposed on their Russian billionaire proprietor Roman Abramovich, the London membership appeared rattled as they fell behind in northern France to a first-half Burak Yilmaz penalty.
Lille had given themselves an opportunity of salvaging the tie following their 2-0 defeat within the first leg at Stamford Bridge final month, however Christian Pulisic equalised on the night time in first-half stoppage time and captain Azpilicueta obtained the winner within the 71st minute.
The reigning Ligue 1 champions exit, and following Paris Saint-Germain’s gorgeous exit final week it means there will probably be no French membership in Friday’s draw for the Champions League quarter-finals.
In distinction, defending European champions Chelsea make it three Premier League golf equipment within the hat as they be part of Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis within the final eight.
“It has not been a standard previous few weeks however we’ve to do what’s in our fingers, which is prepare the perfect we will. Tonight it was a troublesome sport and naturally we’re glad to undergo,” Azpilicueta instructed British broadcaster BT Sport.
“This group fights in opposition to every part, we all know we’ve to do the perfect we will on the pitch, we stick collectively and hopefully find yourself having an excellent season.”
Coach Thomas Tuchel had insisted there might be no excuses for his group regardless of the Blues being left in turmoil after Abramovich’s belongings have been frozen, with Chelsea solely being allowed to proceed working by the British authorities underneath a particular licence.
They’ve been banned from promoting tickets and have been instructed they may not spend greater than £20,000 ($26,300) per match on journey prices, throwing their plans for this journey throughout the English Channel into some disarray.
Earlier than kick-off on Wednesday it emerged that the Ricketts household, house owners of Main League Baseball group the Chicago Cubs, have been main a consortium seeking to purchase the membership whereas British athletics nice Sebastian Coe introduced his involvement in a rival bid.
Villareal knocks out Juventus
In the meantime in Turin, Villarreal reached the Champions League quarter-finals after inflicting a humiliating 3-0 defeat on Juventus to undergo 4-1 on mixture.
Penalties from Gerard Moreno and Arnaut Danjuma and Pau Torres’s tap-in within the closing quarter of an hour have been sufficient for Unai Emery’s well-organised facet to see off the Italians on the Allianz Stadium and make Friday’s last-eight draw.
Villarreal surprised Juve with three sucker punches after spending many of the match on the again foot, content material to carry off the hosts’ assaults which obtained much less potent because the match wore on.
An embarrassing loss was simply Juve’s second because the finish of November and punctures a dogged run of kind which has put them again into the league title race at residence.
Massimiliano Allegri’s facet have been loudly booed off by the house crowd who watched their group shrink from a promising begin and bounce off a yellow wall earlier than being bundled out of the competitors.
Italy are actually with no single consultant on this season’s Champions League because it strikes into its latter phases, as a cynical, scientific Villarreal beat a Serie A group at their very own sport.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
