Chelsea were nowhere near their best at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy but still managed to book their place in the Champions League quarter-final with an ugly 2-1 win over Lille.
The home support was deafening in the early stages and Lille used that to their advantage early on. Their high press was a problem for Chelsea and only a smart block from Thiago Silva prevented them from falling behind to Burak Yilmaz inside ten minutes.
It took Chelsea about 20 minutes to actually grow into the game. Clear-cut chances were at a premium but Thomas Tuchel's men started actually asking questions of the Lille backline.
Lille responded well, however, and got the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot 36 minutes in after VAR caught a handball from Jorginho. Up stepped Yilmaz, 1-0.
Against the run of play, Chelsea snatched an equaliser through Christian Pulisic, who slotted on to a great ball from Jorginho to restore his side's two-goal lead heading into the break.
With the crowd growing uneasy, Lille weren't as hot to start the second half but came within inches of taking the lead again early on. Jonathan Bamba's quick feet set up a cross for Yilmaz, whose header had Mendy scrambling to see it wide.
Xeka then hit the post with a header just a few minutes later, reminding Chelsea that this tie was far from over.
With 20 minutes to go, Chelsea made sure that it was over.
An excellent team goal ended with an excellent cross from Mason Mount and a scruffy finish from Cesar Azpilicueta to put Chelsea ahead on the evening and three goals clear on aggregate.
That strike sucked the life out of the game and Chelsea held on to book a place in the next round.
Chelsea player ratings
1. Goalkeeper & defenders
Edouard Mendy (GK) - 6/10 - Mental how he can be such a good shot stopper and yet so poor at penalties.
Andreas Christensen (CB) - 5/10 - Looked shaky before going off with an injury in the first half.
Thiago Silva (CB) - 7/10 - The only reason Chelsea didn't concede more in the first half. An excellent block to deny Yilmaz.
Antonio Rudiger (CB) - 6/10 - A few uncomfortable moments at the back but his ability to get forward was key to getting Chelsea back in this.
2. Midfielders
Cesar Azpilicueta (RM) - 6/10 - Some really poor moments in attack but made up for that with a huge goal to put this tie to bed. Typically solid at the back.
Jorginho (CM) - 5/10 - Unlucky for the penalty, but an excellent assist. Generally all over the place.
N'Golo Kante (CM) - 4/10 - Looked clunky in this midfield three. Poor pressing and as poor in attack as you'd expect.
Mateo Kovacic (CM) - 6/10 - Tried his best to drag this midfield three through a tricky first half. Some nice moments on the ball. Surprisingly subbed at the break.
Marcos Alonso (LM) - 5/10 - Got forward more than Azpilicueta but still did nothing when he got there.
3. Forwards
Christian Pulisic (ST) - 7/10 - Looks to have rediscovered his scoring touch in recent weeks. A great finish to keep Chelsea ahead in the tie.
Kai Havertz (ST) - 6/10 - Some nice touches when he did manage to get on the ball.
4. Substitutes
Trevoh Chalobah (CB, 33' for Christensen) - 5/10 - Looked very wobbly when he came on. Fortunate not to give away a penalty within seconds of joining. Steadied himself after the break.
Mason Mount (AM, 45' for Kovacic) - 7/10 - His energy was huge for Chelsea and his cross for Azpilicueta's go-ahead strike was brilliant.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (CM, 73' for Jorginho) - 5/10 - Some unconvincing moments in possession.
Romelu Lukaku (ST, 73' for Pulisic) - 5/10 - He's just so isolated in this team. Not on for long but everything around him looked clunky. Didn't get the passes he wanted but didn't work hard enough for them anyway.
Hakim Ziyech (AM, 83' for Havertz) - N/A
Source : 90min