Joe Cole has hailed Chelsea’s second half display after they secured a vital 2-0 win in their Champions League clash with Lille.
The Blues welcomed the Ligue 1 side to Stamford Bridge for the first leg of their last-16 clash on Tuesday evening, and took the lead through Kai Havertz in the eighth minute.
Christian Pulisic doubled their lead in the second half leaving Thomas Tuchel’s side in the driving seat heading into the second leg on March 16.
Chelsea can now switch their attentions to their Carabao Cup final showdown with Liverpool on Sunday, and Cole believes their controlled and dominant performance after the break will stand them in good stead for the weekend.
“The first-half was flat but the second-half was better, a lot better," he told BT Sport.
“Thomas Tuchel will love that going into the cup final at the weekend.
“They took control of the game, they had good possession. That man there, Havertz, was stretching the play.”
However, it wasn’t all positive news for Chelsea as Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech were both withdrawn due to injury and Cole emphasised the potential loss of both players ahead of Sunday’s clash with Liverpool.
He added: “The only downsides are the injuries to Kovacic and Ziyech with the cup final on the horizon but I thought the second-half was a very strong, professional performance and I think Thomas Tuchel will be happy.”
