Back in December when Chelsea were coupled with Lille for the second time, due to UEFA messing up the last 16 draw the first time, there was general relief around Stamford Bridge.
Mainly due to the fact Thomas Tuchel's men could have been drawn against Bayern Munich or Real Madrid due to finishing second to Juventus in the group stage.
But facing the Ligue 1 champions offers the Blues a great chance to reach the last eight of Europe's elite competition for the second season running.
What this tie also provides is a very close look at the highly-rated forward Jonathan David who has been linked with the Blues in recent months.
David has 16 goals in 33 appearances, three in six in the Champions League and 12 in Ligue 1. At 22 and valued at £45m by TransferMarkt, the forward is quickly becoming a hot prospect and is likely to be on the move within the next year.
A brief overview of his skillset makes him a dynamic threat in the modern game. Nimble feet, low centre of gravity, speed and a calm head in front of goal.
Although Jocelyn Gourvennec's side is set up in a traditional 4-4-2, David's mobility allows him to drift wide, almost looking like a wide player in his skill to dribble past opponents and drop deeper to assist in the buildup of attacks.
David has been linked with a number of top European clubs, one of those Chelsea who still lacks a prolific scorer in the final third despite breaking the club's transfer record to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club last summer.
The excitement of David's talent is nothing new, nor the clamour of some to see Chelsea pursue him in the future.
However the forward does come into this tie after a run of six league games without a goal, only winning two as the current champions sit 11th in the table, unlikely to retain Champions League football for next season.
Although David falls into a bracket of developing attackers thriving in the competition this year, Chelsea's attacking issues stem much deeper than one thing.
Lukaku's seven touches in Saturday's uninspiring performance away at Crystal Palace reflected a broader issue of Chelsea's lack of attacking structure which over £300m worth of investment has not been able to resolve.
David's profile would be severely heightened by a return to goals against the reigning European and World champions. But his growing talent offers a trendy quick fix to Chelsea's much deeper problem.
Part of the problem with recent recruitment has been the feeling they stem from opportunity rather than surgical planning.
Players like David could potentially be wise investments if Tuchel's attacking cast was settled and clarified.
But interest over the Lille forward just feels like more reactive planning over the next big thing rather than resolving a problem at your front door.
Thomas Tuchel's biggest challenge against Lille is demonstrating his current cast can start to provide the output expected.
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