Chelsea will look to get into the next round of the Champions League and overcome a one-goal deficit as they take on French champions Paris Saint-Germain tonight at Stamford Bridge. After a disappointing league campaign which currently sees them stranded in eighth place, the Blues will seek to achieve success in the Champions League to give this season a some semblance of glory.
Paris Saint-Germain meanwhile stand on the other end of the spectrum. They have ravaged all comers in Ligue 1 and winning it only remains a formality for the Parisians. The Champions League meanwhile stands as the true test of the stride that the French club has made under the investment of Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
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Kick-Off and Live Telecast
Channel: Ten Action, Ten HD
Kick-Off: Thursday, 10th March – 01:15 IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
Team News
Gus Hiddink goes into the game without the services of skipper John Terry. Frenchman Kurt Zouma also will be missing after being inflicted by a season-ending injury last month. Radamel Falcao also remain a long time absentee.
PSG, on the other hand, were dealt a double in the midfield. Laurent Blanc will most likely be missing the talents of Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti, a decision on both likely to be taken at the eleventh hour. Serge Aurier will again miss the game after being demoted to the reserves following his burst on social media.
Team Form
Chelsea go into the game on the back of a disappointing draw at home against Stoke. However, their form in the last couple of months have been outstanding and under Guus Hiddink, they have been making impressive strides. In fact, their loss against PSG in the first leg was their only loss in the last 17 games.
Last 5 games (All competitions): D-W-W-W-L (Most Recent: Chelsea 1-1 Stoke)
PSG also come into the game at the back of a disappointing draw at home. The French champions failed to dispatch Montpellier as they were held to a goalless stalemate over the weekend. However, the Parisian won’t lack any confidence having lost only one of their last 30 games.
Last 5 games (All competitions): D-W-L-W-W (Most Recent: PSG 0-0 Montpellier)
Possible Line-Ups
Key Stats
1- Chelsea have been held goalless at home only once this season.
2- Paris Saint-Germain have failed to score only twice all season.
5- Chelsea have Won 5, Drawn 5 and Lost 5 against French opposition with a +5 goal difference..
Key Battle
Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Gary Cahill/Branislav Ivanovic
Chelsea’s recent upturn in fortune has been mainly down to the Blues’ refound solidarity at the back. John Terry’s absence has acted like an accidental boon with Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic successfully marshalling the heart of the defence. The PSG game a fortnight back in fact, was the only time Guus Hiddink’s men conceded more than one goal in the in their last ten games.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the other hand, will look to stamp his mark on the game after struggling mostly in the first. The Swede did put the Frenchmen in front in the first leg with his strike, but that was still defelected. Cahill and Ivanovic negated most of the threats that the talented Swede put up that day and will hope to do the same again today.
Prediction
Chelsea will benefit majorly if Matuidi and Verratti indeed miss out on the game. With those two missing, I look forward to Chelsea dominating the game in terms of possession. However, PSG still carry a lot of firepower up front and with Zlatan Ibrahimovic involved, you can always expect a show from the Swede.
Predicted Score: Chelsea 2-2 PSG (PSG go through to next round 4-3 on aggregate)
