Reece James Chelsea
Reece James

Chelsea lost their previous Premier League match 3-1 at the hands of Everton and next up, they take on Lille in the Champions League.

The Blues are third in Group H with 8 points from five matches and need a win to make sure they play in the knockout stages meaning Lampard cannot afford any more lapses from his young players.

And speaking to the press, the Chelsea boss has admitted that qualifying for the next round will certainly be a big achievement for him as well as his young players.

‘It would be a good achievement,’ Lampard said in his pre-match press conference.

‘There are expectations we that would get through the group, I get that, but it was a tough group.

‘The slightly young feel to our team, the fact we lost the first game, the few difficulties we have had, I think we have dealt with them very well to get into this position. There is still work to be done so we have to go out to win the game.

‘There are opportunities now for the team, particularly the young boys, to make a mark. It’s good. I like the pressure of this game being knockout. If we’re going to do anything good here, we’re going to have to have lots of these nights.

‘They’re crucial for the players because you can be defined as an individual and as a group by success.

‘This means going into the next stage of the Champions League which is a place we want to be in, and another platform for the players to play.’

Chelsea have seen a dip in form in recent games and this has mostly been down to the inexperience of his young squad but the Blues should get through against Lille with considerable ease since the French side have lost four out of their five matches in the group stages.

Read: Here’s what Lampard wants from his players when Chelsea take on Lille.

Read: Chelsea receive a major injury boost before their clash against Lille.

Read: 4-2-3-1 Chelsea’s predicted line-up vs Lille.

Read: Lampard explains what cost Chelsea the 3 points vs Everton.