Summary

  • Chelsea beat Lille in first leg of last-16 tie - Havertz & Pulisic score

  • Lukaku on bench as Blues continue title defence

  • Vlahovic scores 32 seconds into CL debut for Juventus at Villarreal

  • Parejo equalises for Spanish side as that game ends 1-1

  1. 'Unhappy' Lukaku 'lacking confidence' and 'hiding'published at 19:03 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2022

    Chelsea v Lille (20:00 GMT)

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Romelu LukakuImage source, Getty Images

    Romelu Lukaku is "lacking confidence" and "hiding" in games, according to former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton.

    Lukaku has only managed five Premier League goals in 17 games since re-joining Chelsea last summer.

    "I think at the weekend he hid," former Premier League striker Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

    "He's lacking confidence - he looks like an unhappy player. He could do so much more for the team.

    "I've hidden myself in games. Your confidence wanes and you start to hide. You tell yourself you're not hiding but you are - that was him in a nutshell.

    "He didn't want the ball. It's a lack of confidence, it's hesitation, it's doubt.

    "It's OK [pundits] blaming other players but he was ambling. He wasn't being clear in his movements."

    Sutton says he "can't see" Lukaku and manager Thomas Tuchel both being at the club next season. "Something has to give," he added.

  2. Tune inpublished at 19:01 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2022

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    There's build-up and full coverage of the game on BBC Radio 5 Live and at the top of this page.

    Tune in.

  3. Why are Chelsea not playing to Lukaku's strengths?published at 18:57 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2022

    Chelsea v Lille (20:00 GMT)

    MOTD

    These three knew the way to the back of the net.

    Match of the Day's Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright take a look at Romelu Lukaku's performance for Chelsea against Crystal Palace after the striker only had seven touches of the ball in 90 minutes.

    The Belgian is going to have to come off the bench if he is to make an impact tonight.

  4. Lukaku on the benchpublished at 18:54 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2022
    Breaking

    Chelsea v Lille (20:00 GMT)

    Well, Thomas Tuchel said Romelu Lukaku "will always be part of the solution".

    He's stuck the Belgium international on the bench for tonight's game.

    Full team news to come.

  5. 'Not the time to laugh' - Tuchel backs Lukakupublished at 18:50 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2022

    Chelsea v Lille (20:00 GMT)

    Chelsea

    The season hasn't gone smoothly for Chelsea and the returning Romelu Lukaku, with the Belgium international continuing to struggle to find the net.

    Blues boss Thomas Tuchel said "it is not the time to laugh about" Lukaku after the £97.5m striker's recent struggles.

    Lukaku only touched the ball seven times in Saturday's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, the lowest number any player has managed in a 90-minute Premier League appearance since at least 2003, when that data was first recorded.

    "He's in the spotlight and we'll protect him. Romelu will always be part of the solution," Tuchel said.

    "Sometimes it's like this with strikers if they struggle a little bit with self-confidence and to find the space to get involved with a good defensive side.

    "Of course it's not what we want and what Romelu wants but it's also not the time to laugh about him and make jokes about him."

    Read the full piece

  6. Tonight's actionpublished at 18:47 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2022

    20:00 GMT kick-offs

    We've got two last-16 first leg ties tonight, including English representation:

    Chelsea v Lille

    Villarreal v Juventus

  7. 🎶 The championssss 🎶published at 18:43 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2022

    Chelsea v Lille (20:00 GMT)

    ChelseaImage source, Getty Images

    The holders are here.

    Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea lifted the trophy last year and the heat is cranking up now as they look to defend their title.

    Tonight they've got Ligue 1 champions Lille standing in their way.