Another victory for the Blues but this one certainly felt better earned than the three points they claimed against Crystal Palace.
All of the talk ahead of the match was about Romelu Lukaku being rested or dropped but it took little time for Chelsea to show what they could do without him.
Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech all interchanged well, but the German international rose highest from a corner to give the Blues the lead in just the eighth minute.
Thomas Tuchel's side amassed fewer shots than their opponents but felt more threatening for much of the game, with Pulisic showing his ability to drive through the lines.
The USA star was able to add to the Blues lead in the second half with a smart finish over Leo Jardim, to give Chelsea a stellar start in the last 16 tie.
football.london takes a look at the moments you might have missed from the clash.
What happened to Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi
The injured trio did not make Chelsea's squad but were in attendance at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.
As the Chelsea and Lille match squads made their way back down the tunnel, James, Chilwell and Hudson-Odoi were hovering around the dugouts before disappearing down the tunnel too.
Only briefly however, as they were announced onto the pitch to parade the Club World Cup trophy to rapturous applause.
They made their way to the centre circle but with perfect comic timing saw the sprinklers turned on. The Chelsea stars did their best to scarper from the spray but couldn't avoid the water, with Chilwell in particular getting caught as Hudson-Odoi even dived to the floor.
Nevertheless the group paraded the trophy around each corner of the ground no doubt warmed by the ovation they received.
A fitting tribute
There was also quite a sombre moment for the evening as Stamford Bridge turned into an arena of applause on the 31st minute to reflect on the passing of Jamal Edwards.
Edwards, a boyhood Chelsea fan, was the founder of SBTV, an online urban YouTube music platform that helped launch the careers of many artists such as Dave, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Skepta.
James and Hudson-Odoi both paid their respects on social media to the rap and grime icon, while Chelsea also released a statement of their own.
The club noted: "We're deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jamal Edwards. An inspiration to many, we're honoured that he was part of our Chelsea family.
"Our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved him."
Thiago Silva's flex as Antonio Rudiger stamps the advertising boards
Amid Chelsea's early goal and fluency going forward, Lille did return fire with some attacks of their own.
They found their way into the box on a number of occasions in the opening period but were met with the force known as Thiago Silva.
The Brazilian has continued to amaze throughout this season and this night was no difference as he repelled almost everything that came to the Blues' box.
One instance saw him produce a massive block before backing it up by cutting out a cross with his head in the same passage of play.
The veteran was pumped up and roared to the Matthew Harding Stand with a bit of a flex.
Not to be outdone with passion and aggression, just minutes later Rudiger was on the scene.
A trademark sliding challenge carried him through into the advertising boards as the crowd called his name. Not content he made sure he stamped on them before picking himself up from the turf.
Why Tuchel shouted at Rudiger, Christensen and Alonso
Anyone who has been to Stamford Bridge knows that nobody is safe from Thomas Tuchel's encouragement or fury from the sideline.
He was very keen to see the Blues play a certain way on the left flank.
It started with him forcing Rudiger to step up into the opposition's half when Chelsea were attacking, to provide another option with Marcos Alonso pushed into the depths of Lille's half. Almost as if to prove his genius, as soon as the German advanced to the edge of the centre circle, the ball was pinged to his feet.
It didn't stop there however, and shortly afterwards Tuchel was jumping up and down, waving his arms and shouting to both Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen. The Blues boss was desperate for his side to switch the ball to Alonso to launch a fast-paced attack.
Of course with so much emphasis on that wing, and Alonso being the closest ear to his 48-year-old coach, he wasn't to escape.
"Marcos, Marco!" came the call as half-time approached. The Spaniard was near his own box as Chelsea looked to transition play up the pitch.
"Marcos, Marcos!" came the shout again. This time the 31-year-old turned and tapped his ear, presumably to indicate he could not hear just to the noise coming from the Matthew Harding Stand.
The German was in disbelief, "What?!" came the call back. He did not look happy. He's got high standards.
