Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec praised Chelsea for performing despite their off-pitch issues but also highlighted the quality difference between the two clubs.
The Blues deservedly booked their place in the quarter-finals after a convincing 2-1 win in the second leg on Wednesday (4-1 on aggregate).
It was a quite different display to what we often see from Thomas Tuchel’s men.
They were not as solid defensively as people would expect, conceding six shots from inside the box in the second leg.
Luckily for Chelsea, the hosts were wasteful with their chances with Burak Yilmaz’s early penalty goal being their only shot on target in the game.
Chelsea, on the other hand, were clinical. They only had four shots on target and two ended up in the back of the net.
The London club’s having so many “great” players, according to Gourvennec, made the difference.
“The result is very hard. We didn’t deserve to lose because of what we gave,” the Lille boss said after the game (via L’Equipe).
“I have regrets. We deserved better. They score twice, but they have 0.5 expected goals.
“You have to congratulate them because they are in a dramatic situation administratively. But they’ve got great players, and it’s coming through.
“Their experience swings the game their way despite all the great things we did.
“We expected their three-man midfield but it didn’t change our pressing. They were able to find the gaps behind our strikers.
“There is a €300million (or roughly £250m) difference in budget between the two clubs. It’s mechanical.
“They can afford great talent, with huge wages. Their signings can be regulars at any club in the world. That’s the difference.
“We’ll always have this deficit. But that makes our journey more beautiful.”
Well, unfortunately for Lille, this would have likely been the case even if they had not been drawn against Chelsea in the competition.
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