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For Frank Lampard, it was not an occasion to fret about permutations. Chelsea did not have to worry about what was happening between Ajax and Valencia in Amsterdam and, after a series of wild encounters in this evenly matched group, they welcomed the rarity of a European night free of anything resembling dramatic tension – at least until Lille belatedly stirred and spent the final 10 minutes threatening to grab the equaliser that would have dumped Lampard’s side into the Europa League.
The focus will turn to whether Chelsea possesses the talent to make an impact in the knockout stages. In that regard the doubters will linger on the way the game became frantic and chaotic after Loïc Rémy halved the deficit deep into a sleepy second half. Continue reading...