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    Thomas Tuchel makes Champions League history as he goes past Zinedine Zidane in Chelsea’s ruthless win over Lille

    THOMAS TUCHEL wrote his name into the Champions League history books and surpassed Zinedine Zidane with the ruthless victory in Lille.The Chelsea boss saw his side fight back from behind to win 2-1 on the night in France.
    Thomas Tuchel secured win No32 in the Champions League at LilleCredit: Getty
    Zinedine Zidane won three Champions League crowns in three years as Real Madrid bossCredit: AP:Associated Press
    Goals from Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta either side of the break ensured a safe passage into the quarters for the holders.
    And those goals also confirmed Tuchel’s 32nd win as a manager in the competition.
    That drew the German equal with compatriot Jupp Heynckes as the coach with the most victories inside his first 50 matches in the competition.
    However, Heynckes secured 32 wins from a total of 47 games in charge – winning it in 2013 in his third stint as Bayern Munich boss.
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    Tuchel bettered Zidane’s tally of 31 from his opening 50.
    The Frenchman took over as Real Madrid boss in January 2016.
    Within five months, he lifted Ol’ Big Ears after beating Atletico on penalties at the San Siro.
    Just 24 months later, Zidane lifted his third title in a row.
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    By comparison, Tuchel reached the final with Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 but lost to Bayern Munich.
    He was sacked by the end of that year and then replaced Frank Lampard in the Chelsea dugout in January 2021.
    Like Zidane, he wasted no time securing European glory as Kai Havertz got a famous winner against Manchester City last season.
    Speaking after the win at Lille, Tuchel said: “It’s so nice so many fans are here to support the team, it feels brilliant.
    “The quarter-finals is a big step. We showed resilience and mentality to overcome difficulties.
    “We did what was necessary. We dug in and got a deserved win. It’s difficult here.
    “We hope and expect to carry on. We want to compete. It took a lot of sacrifice, we fought hard to be in the last eight. We’re excited for the draw.”
    Mason Mount set up Cesar Azpilicueta for the winning goal at LilleCredit: Alamy
    Jupp Heynckes managed 32 wins from 47 matches in the Champions LeaugeCredit: AFP or licensors More

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    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (1-4) LIVE RESULT: Azpilicueta goal sees Blues ease to Champions League quarter-final – reaction

    CHELSEA have beaten Lille to secure a place in the Champions League quarter-final.A handball from Jorginho saw Burak Yilmaz convert a penalty to move the hosts to within a goal of drawing level on aggregate.
    But a cool finish from Christian Pulisic saw Chelsea draw level in France.
    And Cesar Azpilicueta then netted with 20 minutes left to put the tie to bed.
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    Reigning European Champions march on
    That’s all from us in France where Chelsea progress to the quarter-finals as they continue the defence of their Champions League title.
    Despite a two-goal advantage from the first leg, The Blues were made to fight for their place in the last eight, and had to come from behind in Lille to win on the night.
    Afterwards, Thomas Tuchel praised the players resilience as they dug deep to give the visiting fans some welcome relief after a troubled fortnight.
    Tomorrow the saga of ownership and takeovers will be confronted again, but for tonight Chelsea can celebrate their accomplishments on the pitch.
    Thanks for reading, and goodnight.
    How did the Blues do
    Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic impressed, but Marcos Alonso again failed to convince as a wing-back.
    Check out how the rest of the Chelsea players scored in Simon Phillips’ playing ratings.
    Tuchel delighted with Chelsea resilience
    Thomas Tuchel has managed 50 games in the Champions League, and won 32 of them. No manager in history has won more games in their first 50 matches in the competition.
    After tonight’s game, the Chelsea boss paid tribute to his players for their characters, and admitted he got his side’s tactics wrong in the early stages of the contest.
    It’s so nice that so many fans are here and took the time to travel and support the team. It feels brilliant. We’re in the quarter-finals. It’s a big step. We showed again resilience and overcame difficulties. We did what was necessary, and got a deserved win. It’s difficult here, and we did what was needed so well done to the team.
    [The equaliser was perfect timing]. We were not so good in the first half. The pitch was horrible, it made things complicated for us. It’s brand new but not ready to be played on. The tactics were not right in the first 20 minutes so I take responsibility for that.Thomas TuchelBT Sport

    The Champions League quarter-finalists
    The last eight of this year’s competition are now known, and the draw for both the quarter-finals and the semi-finals will be made at 11am on Friday morning.

    Liverpool (ENG)
    Benfica (POR)
    Man City (ENG)
    Atletico Madrid (ESP)
    Bayern Munich (GER)
    Real Madrid (ESP)
    Chelsea (ENG)
    Villarreal (ESP)

    Match stats from Stade Pierre-Mauroy
    After a promising start, Lille ran out of steam, and were eventually out-passed and out-played by the European champions.

    Full time – Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    In the end it was a formality as Chelsea win on the night, and progress to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate win.
    Lille worked hard, and fought from the first whistle. Burak Yilmaz’s penalty gave them real belief, but a Christian Pulisic goal on the stroke of half-time swung the momentum fully in Chelsea’s favour.
    A second half strike from Cesar Azpilicueta ensured the European champions another Champions League victory, and they can now start to ponder Friday’s draw.

    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4) – Fonte yellow card
    90+4. Romelu Lukaku gains possession, and squares up to Jose Fonte on the edge of the penalty area.
    The Chelsea substitute goes to use his pace and power to beat the Lille man, only to find himself flattened.
    It’s a yellow card to Fonte, and a free-kick for Chelsea that’s ultimately wasted by…guess who…Marcos Alonso.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    90+2. There’s still time for ANOTHER lazy piece of play from Alonso.
    The Spaniard is slipped through on goal by Mount’s pass. He could go for power or square to an unmarked teammate, but opts for some kind of weak chip that Leo Jardim bats away.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    90+1. There’s still time for another lazy piece of play from Alonso.
    Chelsea spark a break that has them two on one with the the wing-back charging down the left.
    He only has to beat the defender with his cross to find Lukaku but fires it straight into his opponent.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    90. The board goes up for four minutes that nobody really wants.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    87. Yilmaz keeps battling away. Everyone else inside the Stade Pierre Mauroy know the game is up, but he keeps battling away anyway.
    Fair play to the 36-year-old.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    85. Meanwhile, in Turin, Villarreal have gone 2-0 up on Juventus, and are minutes away from causing a big shock.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4) – Chelsea substitution
    83. That effort was Havertz’s last act and he becomes the latest player to depart early.
    Hakim Ziyech, an impressive performer in the first leg, is on for the final seven minutes.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    82. Havertz has a shot on the run from 25 yards that rolls straight into the hands of Leo Jardim.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    80. It’s that time of the game where Chelsea fans are beginning to chat amongst themselves, asking when the draw is and looking up flights to potential opponents.
    “Dave, when do tickets go on s…ah, never mind.”
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4) – Lille substitutions
    78. Now it’s the Ligue 1’s side turn to make some substitutions, and it’s a triple.
    Angel Gomes, Domagoj Bradaric and former Newcastle favourite Hatem Ben Arga come on. Off go the impressive Jonathan Bamba, Gabriel Gudmundsson, and Jonathan David.
    If there’s one of those petitions for parliament against five substitutions in games, I’m ready to put my name to it.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    76. Chelsea have had two shots on target tonight, and found the net with both of them.
    The kind of German precision that Thomas Tuchel will appreciate.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4) – Chelsea substitutions
    74. With the tie done and dusted, Thomas Tuchel takes the opportunity to introduce some of his second string.
    Here come Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Romelu Lukaku, on for Jorginho and Christian Pulisic.
    Lille 1-2 Chelsea (agg: 1-4)
    71. Chelsea are heading for the Champions League quarter-finals!
    It’s a brilliantly worked goal that stems down the left with Marcos Alonso heading a looped pass into the path of Mason Mount.
    On the run, Mount looks up and fizzes a low cross towards the far post for the arriving Cesar Azpilicueta, who meets the ball fortuitously with his knee to find the net.
    After a torrid two weeks, Chelsea fans have something to celebrate. They lead 2-1 on the night, 4-1 on aggregate.

    Goal! Cesar Azpilicueta scores!
    71. Chelsea are in front on the night!
    Cesar Azpilicueta is the man on target!
    Lille 1-1 Chelsea (agg: 1-3)
    69. Chelsea have certainly slipped into game management mode, and are doing everything they can to slow down the game and speed up the clock.
    Maison de merde as they say in this part of the world.
    Lille 1-1 Chelsea (agg: 1-3)
    66. Mendy incurs the wrath of the home fans by taking an age to take a goalkick before one idiot takes things too far by throwing an object in the keeper’s direction.
    Referee Massa comes over to the scene, and Mendy hands him what appears to be a lighter.

    Lille 1-1 Chelsea (agg: 1-3) – Xeka hits the post!
    63. Lille come so close to taking the lead on the night!
    Yilmaz curls in a peach of a cross from the right flank, for the arriving Xeka to head against the post. Mendy was well beaten.
    Chelsea’s marking there was non-existent, and Thiago Silva is letting the rest of his defence know about it.

    Lille 1-1 Chelsea (agg: 1-3)
    61. Yilmaz and Chalobah clash again, and this time it’s the Chelsea man who comes off worse.
    There’s an immediate suggestion that Yilmaz used an elbow, but replays again come out in favour of the Lille forward. In using Chalobah for leverage, he happened to catch the defender in the face with his hand.
    Thomas Tuchel is not happy with the challenge, however, and makes his point of view clear to his opposite number.
    Lille 1-1 Chelsea (agg: 1-3)
    59. Pulisic wins a free-kick outside the area that Alonso will inevitably make a mess of.
    And that’s exactly what happens as he fires it into the wall. However, Rudiger reacts quickly to the rebound and fires in a shot on the spin from 25 yards that whistles inches past the post.
    Superb technique from the German.
    Load more entries… More

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    When is the Champions League quarter-final draw? Date, UK start time, TV channel and live stream free

    THE Champions League is into its last eight and the identities of all the participating teams are known.Man Utd are not among them after succumbing to Atletico Madrid.
    The Champions League draw is set to be madeCredit: EPA
    And in the upset of the round, Juventus have bowed out at the last 16 stage for the third year running after being hammered by Villarreal.
    When is the Champions League quarter-final draw?

    The Champions League quarter-final draw takes place on Friday, March 18.
    It commences at 11am UK time.
    It will be held at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

    What TV channel is the Champions League quarter-final draw on and can I live stream it free?
    The Champions League quarter-final draw is live on BT Sport 2.
    Coverage commences at 10.45am.
    To stream it live, head to the BT Sport website or app.
    You can also stream the full draw for FREE on the Uefa website.
    Which teams are in the Champions League quarter-final?
    The following teams have qualified for the Champions League quarter-final:

    Chelsea
    Manchester City
    Liverpool
    Real Madrid
    Atletico Madrid
    Villarreal
    Benfica
    Bayern Munich

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    Which teams can play each other?
    The Champions League quarter-final draw is a free format, meaning any two teams can play each other, including teams from the same country. More

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    Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea show fighting spirit to reach Champions League quarter-finals despite world of uncertainty

    CHELSEA came from a goal down to win in Lille and certainly made things difficult for themselves in a hostile atmosphere.The trouble for Chelsea’s players and staff right now is all the uncertainty and turmoil going on away from the actual football being played, so you never know how things will affect them.
    Thomas Tuchel continues to pick up wins despite all the off-pitch distractionsCredit: Getty
    Skipper Cesar Azpilicueta scored Chelsea’s winnerCredit: Getty
    The Blues showed a lot of character to come from behind in a hostile atmosphereCredit: EPA
    Before the game there was more drama as Blues fans got tear gassed by French police, providing yet another unwelcome distraction.
    But once again, Chelsea’s players faced up to adversity and although they were poor for large periods of the match, they showed the heart and desire to get the result and progress to the quarter-final.
    That, despite the volatile atmosphere, with the stadium announcer even joining in on the anti-Chelsea chants.
    So it was very much Chelsea against the world again in Lille, and you can guarantee that every single non-supporting football fan would have been backing the French champions.
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    Everyone hates Chelsea right now.
    But at the end of the day as a Chelsea fan, player, or staff member, the best possible thing we can do right now is to keep reacting on the pitch by winning matches, which is exactly what we have been doing since the news of Roman Abramovich selling the club came out.
    And once more I find myself writing about how proud I am that the players have not hidden away after all the off-field noise, but instead they have stood up, risen up, and played for the badge.
    It is even more refreshing that when we aren’t even playing well, we still have that fight and determination to get the result.
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    CHELTENHAM FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS – ALL THE LATEST DEALS FOR THE RACING THIS WEEK
    In those 90 minutes tonight, it gives a chance for every single player and fan to switch off from everything that has been going on at the club right now, the attack from French Police before the match, and the fact it is us against the world right now, even if it is just for one night, it is much needed.
    And if we manage to carry that determination into the rest of our European campaign there is no reason why we cannot beat the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
    One big obstacle is the fact Chelsea fans have been banned by Uefa from travelling to any more away games.
    Yet more evidence that everything is against the club right now. More

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    Juventus 0-3 Villarreal (1-4) LIVE RESULT: Pau Torres strike and two penalties see Europa League winners run riot

    JUVENTUS have been hammered by Villarreal.A Gerard Moreno penalty put the Europa League winners ahead before Pau Torres doubled their lead.
    And former Bournemouth star Arnaut Danjuma then converted a second spot kick in injury time.
    The Yellow Submarine marches on
    Cue The Beatles song, the champagne and the celebrations.
    Unai Emery’s team will be in the draw for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League on Friday.
    They did a right number on Juventus in Turin tonight.

    Danjuma beams from ear to ear
    Goalscorer and ex-Bournemouth player Danjumo:
    The feeling is unbelievable, indescribable, I don’t have words. The sky is the limit, if you work hard you will get the reward. It’s a great win but I am already looking ahead and wanting to win more.Arnaut DanjumaVillarreal
    Rebuilding project ahead
    Massimiliano Allegri has a big building project ahead of him.
    Creating a side that can dominate Serie A may be an easier task than building a team that can again be one of the top sides in Europe.
    They are a long way off the pace when it comes to the teams who are going to be challenging to win this trophy.
    ‘Old Lady’ out to pasture
    Nobody expected an emphatic Villarreal victory tonight, least of all me in the opening exchanges of the first-half.
    Once they scored, Juventus crumbled completely.
    Leaving themselves open at the back for another two goals.
    The last goal was like something you would see on a parks pitch.

    FT: Juventus 0-3 Villarreal
    The referee puts the remaining Juventus fans out of their misery.
    Brilliant result for the Spaniards.
    Allegri will be swinging punches in the changing rooms.
    Juventus 0-3 Villarreal
    90+3. Capoue is brought to the ground in the Juventus half.
    No need to attack the goal now for the Yellow Submarine.
    They just pass it around to run the clock down.

    Juventus 0-3 Villarreal
    90+2. What a finish to the game this is for the visitors.
    Unai Emery will be having a drink tonight.
    The ground now looks like a fire drill is taking place.
    Goal – Danjuma (Villarreal)
    Juventus 0-2 Villarreal
    89. Unbelievable break by Villarreal.
    Three players against the two defenders of Juventus.
    Squaring it back and fore like a school playground to take the mickey.
    Eventually a shot comes in and de Ligt blocks with his hand.
    Penalty to Villarreal
    Juventus 0-2 Villarreal
    87. Well Juventus are paying the price for all the chances they missed in the first half.
    Too often their efforts gave the keeper a chance as they were straight at him.
    Emery sprinting down the touchline as that second one went in like Mourinho at Old Trafford (when not managing them).

    Juventus 0-2 Villarreal
    85. The corner is swung in and the marking from Juve is shocking.
    Pau Torres has a free tap in from yards out and puts the tie beyond doubt.
    Massive ask for Juventus to score two goals in such a short space of time,
    Goal – Pau Torres (Villarreal)
    Juventus 0-1 Villarreal
    83. Bernardeschi comes on for Juve.
    Still plenty of time for a goal.
    Cuadrado drives a cross in, Torres clears.

    Juventus 0-1 Villarreal
    80. It is so frustrating that VAR lets officials correct their own decisions.
    For me, their decision in that instance should be penalty or not.
    Not pandering the ego of the official.
    Crazy that he did not award a penalty himself when the player was scythed down.
    Juventus 0-1 Villarreal
    78. Gerard Moreno puts it in the bottom right-hand corner.
    Szczesny almost got there.
    Pressure on Juventus now.
    Allegri brings on Dybala.
    Goal – Gerard Moreno (Villarreal)
    Penalty awarded to Villarreal
    Juventus 0-0 Villarreal
    75. The VAR studio has told the referee to go to the screen.
    The referee did not award a penalty initially.
    This translates to ‘you messed up, go and rectify it.’
    Juventus 0-0 Villarreal
    74. Emery has opted to bring on Gerard Moreno.
    Hopefully the Villarreal striker can spark something here.
    The Yellow Submarine attack, Coquelin seemingly brought down in the box.
    Juventus 0-0 Villarreal
    72. There is no need to see heatmaps for this half so far.
    I can safely say all the play is in the middle of the park.
    Locatelli passes the ball from a crossing position on the right to the centre back on the halfway line.
    Mind-bending.

    Juventus 0-0 Villarreal
    69. The Juventus fans continue to boo Villarreal in possession.
    They would be quite entitled to do the same when their own team is in possession.
    I don’t think even the appearance of a genie here would lead to us seeing a goal at the moment.
    Juventus 0-0 Villarreal
    67. Villarreal seem to have woken up somewhat.
    Seeing some possession in the Juventus half.
    Rabiot heads it back Szscesny.
    Juventus 0-0 Villarreal
    65. Juventus really seem to have no answer when they cannot penetrate a team.
    Locatelli has a shot of sorts from range but it is not troubling the goal.
    Juventus seem to win back possession immediately.
    Juventus 0-0 Villarreal
    63. Coquelin and Chukwueze come on for Villarreal.
    Unai Emery seeing the need to change things here.
    They haven’t really offered anything as an attacking threat as yet in this half.
    Load more entries… More

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    Juventus 0 Villarreal 3 (agg 1-4) Moreno, Torres and Danjuma stun Juve with late show to pull off Champions League shock

    VILLARREAL progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 13 years with a 3-0 win against Juventus.A penalty apiece for Gerard Moreno and Arnaut Danjuma, and a Pau Torres bullet header, sent ex-Arsenal boss Unai Emery’s side into the last-eight 4-1 on aggregate.
    Villarreal shocked Juventus to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League – Gerardo Moreno opened the scoring from the spotCredit: Reuters
    Pau Torres headed home Villarreal’s second from a cornerCredit: Reuters
    Arnaut Danjuma added a third from the spot in injury timeCredit: AP
    Referee Szymon Marciniak pointed to the spot to award the first of two pens when Francois Coquelin was tripped in the box by Daniele Rugani – but only after being told to go to the VAR monitor .
    Moreno squeezed his penalty into the bottom corner past Wojciech Szczesny to open the scoring with 12 minutes to play, having come on as a substitute less than four minutes earlier.
    Torres then thundered home a header from a corner on 85 minutes, before a Matthijs de Ligt handball in stoppage time gifted Villarreal another penalty.
    This time Danjuma stepped up to take – sending Szczesny the wrong way and consigning Juve to a third consecutive last-sixteen exit.
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Cheltenham.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}CHELTENHAM TIPS .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Our No1 tipster Templegate’s best bets for St Patrick’s day at Cheltenham
    Villarreal came to the Allianz Arena and dominated possession in the opening stages – but the first big chance of the game fell to Juve man and Chelsea flop Alvaro Morata.
    The striker was picked out at the back post by another Blues failure, Juan Cuadrado, but he thundered a free header straight at Villarreal keeper Geronimo Rulli.
    Juve’s £62million January signing Dusan Vlahovic had three chances in the first half.
    First he tested Rulli with a fierce strike from outside the area, and then saw a close-range effort canon off the underside of the crossbar.
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    Rulli then denied Vlahovic again from a corner, flying off his line and spreading himself well to keep out the Serbian striker’s header.
    Villarreal’s best chance of the first half came when Arnaut Danjuma left Danilo for dead on the Villarreal left before finding Giovani Lo Celso, but the on loan Spurs man fluffed his lines.
    Juventus continued to probe after the break as they came out the better side, with Rabiot stinging Rulli’s gloves from range.
    But the late sucker punches from Moreno, Torres and Danjuma sealed a famous win for the Yellow Submarine – although the scoreline was not by any means a fair reflection of the game. More

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    Chelsea player ratings: Azpilicueta inspires Blues to win over Lille as Jorginho finds life difficult in new system

    CHELSEA progressed to the Champions League quarter-final with a 2-1 win in Lille.Inspired by captain Cesar Azpilicueta, the Blues came from behind to win on the night and secure a 4-1 aggregate victory.
    Captain Cesar Azpilicueta scored Chelsea’s winner with his kneeCredit: Getty
    Christian Pulisic drew his side level on the stroke of half-timeCredit: Getty
    But it was not a night without worry as Lille pressured from the off and hit the post with the score at 1-1.
    Chelsea proved why they have been so successful in this competition under Thomas Tuchel, who continues to pick up results amid Chelsea’s off-pitch issues.
    It was an accomplished team performance with the only negative being Andreas Christensen’s first-half injury.
    Here is how Simon Phillips rated the European champions’ performance in Lille.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The 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    Edouard Mendy – 6/10
    Dived the right way for the penalty but could not save it. Had a few other shots to deal with that he managed well, some of his distribution was questionable though at times.
    Cesar Azpilicueta – 9
    His determination and work rate was insane again. Made some good tackles and blocks and contributed in attacks as much as he could.
    His run to get on the end of Mason Mount’s cross to score was amazing and he took the finish well.
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    Andreas Christensen – 6
    Had a reasonable first half an hour but unfortunately got an injury and had to come off.
    Thiago Silva – 7
    Sometimes a little too calm and slow to make the pass, but even still, there is nobody better at playing out from the back than Silva and he was needed as Lille were pressing intensely.
    Antonio Rudiger – 7
    Intense and energetic as usual and his leadership was needed for Chelsea.
    Brings the ball out from the ball well when there isn’t a pass on to ease the pressure.
    Marcos Alonso – 6
    Some neat touches, but also some poor ones. He was there but wasn’t really bringing a lot to the table.
    Not enough pace to be an effective wing-back for me unfortunately.
    Jorginho – 6
    Silly handball to give away a penalty in the first half but he redeemed himself for that error with a lovely assist for Pulisic to score the equaliser.
    Not his best game though really and struggled to adjust in the midfield three Tuchel deployed.
    N’Golo Kante – 6
    Not one of his greatest games really in terms of what he usually brings to the table.
    He wasn’t quite keeping the ball well enough in the first half but improved a lot in the second half when he was playing a little deeper.
    Matteo Kovacic – 8
    Running the show really and never giving it away. Keeping his lovely close control and dribbling ability was amazing again. Did well to help Chelsea keep the ball under pressure.
    He was taken off at half-time which was shocking, must be injured, you’d assume.
    Christian Pulisic – 8
    Took his equalising goal very well and stayed composed when through on goal.
    I prefer to see him out wide so there was moments he looked uncomfortable, but had a very good game really overall and was actually moved out wide.
    Kai Havertz – 8
    Some nice clever touches from him and he was also looking strong on the ball holding it up when needed.
    Looked dangerous and direct when he dropped in and got on the ball.
    Subs
    Trevoh Chalobah (for Christensen, 33) – 6
    Had to come on as an early sub for Christensen.
    Got booked almost instantly for a silly challenge and looked a little uncomfortable after that bar some good drives forward with the ball.
    Mason Mount (for Kovacic, 45) – 8
    Really good impact when he came on and provided a lovely assist for Azpilicueta to score. Full of energy and really direct.
    Ruben Loftus-Cheek (for Jorginho, 74) – 7
    Strong on the ball, intensity, and some nice little touches as well.
    Romelu Lukaku (for Pulisic, 74) – 7
    Looked decent when he came on, good physicality and some nice link-ups with Havertz.
    Hakim Ziyech (for Havertz, 83) – N/A
    Was not on long enough to impact the game. More

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    Lille 1 Chelsea 2 (1-4 agg): Pulisic and Azpilicueta complete Blues comeback as holders reach Champions League quarters

    CAPTAIN AMERICA rode to the rescue and sent a message to the folks back home with a flash of his right foot.Christian Pulisic scored the goal which saw off the fightback from the French champions and handed Chelsea a relatively quiet night on the pitch at least.
    Christian Pulisic equalised as Chelsea beat Lille to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
    Mason Mount set up skipper Cesar Azpilicueta to complete the turnaroundCredit: Alamy
    And as the bidding war to buy the club hots up across the Pond there could be no better advert than seeing a homespun hero steal the show.
    Whether by coincidence or not, Pulisic was back in the starting line-up after two games out on the day a fourth interested party from the US signalled intent to buy the club.
    Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts declared himself in the race for the £3billion-rated club just hours before kick-off, joining Woody Johnson, Oaktree Capital and Todd Boehly.
    The queue of customers stretches from New England to New Orleans. And how those four will have drooled at seeing one of their own show what can be done when the Yanks are given a chance.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Punters brave torrid rain and mud as Tiger Roll denied fairytale ending
    Pulisic is the poster boy of stars and stripes soccer. He is the skipper of the national team yet drifts in and out at Chelsea and admits it hurts.
    The clinical finish tonight which avoided an uncomfortable evening for his team-mates will only serve to stir up interest across stateside. 
    Pulisic was one of five changes to the team from Sunday’s late win against Newcastle in a bid to inject fresh legs into the team. 
    As is becoming customary with Chelsea, it is impossible to go even a few minutes without some form of drama.
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    So it was that defender Andreas Christensen collapsed just after half an hour with a pulled hamstring and was forced off.
    His replacement Tevoh Chalobah’s first input was to pull down Lille’s highly-rated forward Jonathan David on the edge of the box, concede a dangerous free-kick and get himself booked.
    From that Chelsea’s normally reliable keeper Edouard Mendy made a mess of dealing with the cross and in the ensuing goalmouth scramble Jorginho handled the ball.
    It was a full four minutes later though that Italian ref Davide Massa was able to consult VAR and award a penalty.
    Burak Yilmaz calmly pumped the ball in to make it 2-1 on aggregate and cut Chelsea’s aggregate lead to one goal with more than fifty minutes to play in a hostile atmosphere in industrial north-eastern France.
    But they should make the most of it as current Government restrictions mean that after Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Middlesbrough, Chelsea can’t sell any more tickets to games so a full house could soon become a thing of the past for these players.
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    Jorginho was left shaking his head in despair as Lille pulled a goal back. Seven minutes later he was doing the same thing but in admiration for Pulisic for the sublime finish which restored Chelsea’s two-goal advantage.
    Looking to make amends for his erroneous move earlier, Chelsea’s most naturally-gifted passer drifted towards the Lille 18-yard box then pushed a perfectly-weighted through ball into Pulisic’s path.
    With the last kick of the half, he raced clear and slid a shot across the face of the goal and into the net to level on the night and put Thomas Tuchel’s team firmly back in control of the tie.
    While it was not exactly plain sailing from there, Lille hit the post through a majestic second-half header from Xeka, the restoration of the two-goal cushion settled the players enough for them to continue their remarkable run since their club went into meltdown.
    The first leg of this tie was played on February 22 – just over three weeks ago.
    But it feels like a different lifetime.
    Burak Yilmaz had given the French side hope from the penalty spotCredit: AFP
    That cut the deficit in half in front of a raucous home crowdCredit: AFP
    Back then, Russia had not invaded neighbours Ukraine and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was sitting relatively safely in his throne room as megarich owner of a hugely successful club with a top manager.
    The Russian is now an outcast, sanctioned by the UK Government for alleged ties to his tyrannical leader Vladimir Putin. And Abramovich’s beloved football club is up for sale forced to operate on a shoestring.
    Boss Tuchel joked he might have to drive a seven-seater car to get the team out to play in Lille but was half-serious.
    Yet money doesn’t appear to be everything and since the war kicked off, Chelsea have played six times and won five. Being skint has galvanised the players at least.
    There was a similar feeling when the club was condemned to a transfer ban under Tuchel’s predecessor Frank Lampard.
    The kids from the academy were promoted to the first team and the spirit in the camp went through the roof while spending power plummeted.
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    One of those kids was midfielder Mason Mount and he came on at half-time to prived the assist for the move which numerically sealed Chelsea’s place in the last eight.
    Nineteen minutes from time he whipped in a ball from the left and Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta made it 4-1 on aggregate with a scruffy goal off his knee.
    The captain turned into the back of the net with his knee to secure the tieCredit: Getty More