“AND BA GOES IN!” were the memorable words shouted by Martin Tyler as Demba Ba’s outstretched foot poked the ball into the back of the net with only three minutes to play. As the Senegalese striker was mobbed by his fellow teammates near the corner flag, José Mourinho sprinted down the sideline in what most spectators, including myself originally thought was celebration. It was brilliantly revealed after the game that the real reason for Mourinho’s actions were to give his players quick instruction, as the Blues were at that moment just a few minutes from a Champions League semi-final. The final whistle blew, and Stamford Bridge erupted as fans and players alike hugged each other out of pure joy. Paris St. Germain’s Champions League campaign had come to an unlikely end and Chelsea were moving on, only to eventually be knocked out in the next round by Atletíco Madrid.
A season later, Chelsea and PSG have been matched together once again, this time in the round-of-sixteen. Similarly, Chelsea will travel to France for the first leg and play the second in London. In 2014, Chelsea found themselves down 3-1 going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge. That one away goal, a penalty converted by Eden Hazard, would most certainly come in handy a week later. Chelsea beat the French giants 2-0 in the return leg, dramatically tieing the aggregate at three apiece and advancing on away goals, the 2012 tie with Napoli most certainly springing to mind.
Both clubs did exceptionally well in the group stage of this season’s competition. Chelsea topped Group G incontestably, while Paris St. Germain finished second behind Barcelona in Group F, but still eight points above third placed Ajax. PSG were easily the toughest possible matchup for any Pot 1 club going into the round-of-sixteen draw, and it is Chelsea who are lucky enough to play them. Many neutral fans would agree that Chelsea and PSG will be the most intriguing matchup in this season’s Champions League round-of-sixteen.
Paris St. Germain have won three of their last five matches in France’s top flight, and currently sit third on the table in the midst of an intense race for the Ligue 1 title. Their most recent match saw them lead 2-0 after 88 minutes, but ended up drawing 2-2 after an amazing SM Caen comeback couldn’t be stopped by the reigning champions, who had been reduced to nine men. President Nasser Al Khelaifi said after the match, “Tonight was a very difficult match for us, but the players showed great spirit and fight, right up until the final whistle. We will be ready for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Chelsea and we will need all our supporters to be 100% behind the team”. Manager Laurent Blanc has confirmed that Marquinhos, Aurier, Cabaye, and Lucas will all miss Tuesday’s match against Chelsea, with the fitness of Matuidi classifying him as doubtful as well. On a side note David Luiz will be able to get a crack at his old club Chelsea, whom he peacefully left this past summer for an astronomical fee rumoured to be somewhere around £50 million.
Chelsea have won four of their last five matches, with a draw against title contenders and fellow UEFA Champions League participants Manchester City amongst the recent results. Their most recent fixture saw them snatch all three points from Everton via a late goal from Willian. The Londoners, who sit seven points clear atop the Barclays Premier League, have a clean bill of health going into Tuesday aside from John Obi Mikel, who is suffering from a knee injury. Diego Costa will be returning to the squad after not being able to play in the club’s last three domestic matches due to a ban, as well as Cesc Fàbregas who is poised to return after recovering from injury. José Mourinho will also be able to select January signing Juan Cuadrado if he pleases. The exciting Colombian winger is eligible to play in the Champions League having featured in the Europa League this season with his former club Fiorentina.
Chelsea and PSG is a matchup that has caught the eye of football fans all over the world from the very day it was announced. The two sides met last season and it was Chelsea who squeaked into the next round by the narrowest of margins. Chelsea ended up trophyless last season, with José Mourinho notably referring to his side as a ‘little horse’. After doing a complete overhaul of the strike force and adding the creative talent of Cesc Fàbregas, Chelsea are a much stronger side from the one that faced PSG over a year ago. Paris St. Germain have not changed much over the course of a year aside from the big money signing of David Luiz. With the disappointment of their last match and their numerous injury woes, it appears that the French champions are going to have it tough on Tuesday. In addition, with Chelsea on top form, plus the return of their prolific battering ram of a striker Diego Costa and their artist of a midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, the balance seems to be slightly shifting in favour of the Premier League leaders. However, what happens on paper and what happens on the pitch can be two completely different things sometimes, and we’ll just have to see what happens on match day.
