Chelsea FC vs Paris Saint-Germain F.C: Thoughts And Prediction

Chelsea FC will resume their Champions League campaign when they take on French giants Paris Saint-Germain F.C in a round of 16 second leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

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The two clubs are tied 1-1 on aggregate, so a 0-0 scoreline would see Chelsea progress to the next round of the competition, having scored on French soil.

Goals from Branislav Ivanovic and Edinson Cavani highlighted the match, but Thibaut Courtois also had a huge say, making crucial saves.

The Blues broke PSG hearts in this fixture last season. After losing 3-1 in Paris, they would seal passage to the semi-final with an early goal from Andre Schurrle and a late strike from Demba Ba.

Both those players have departed, but Jose Mourinho now has a much stronger team. They have already lifted the Capital One Cup, and have a five-point advantage over second placed Manchester City, with 11 games to go in the Premier League.

They already hold the advantage in the tie, having scored an away goal, but things could turn upside down pretty quick if they are not at their best.

Nemanja Matic — who bizarrely injured his ankle whilst celebrating the Blues’ League Cup win — should be available for selection. The Serbian has not featured for Chelsea since their 1-1 draw with Burnley, a game in which he was sent off and banned for two further matches.

John Obi Mikel is the only player with no chance of suiting up. The midfielder recently underwent knee surgery, but should be back by early April.

Eden Hazard – Credit: Zackys Andreas Dwi.L (Flickr Creative Commons)

PSG aren’t having as spectacular a season, but they have climbed up to second place in their division, only trailing Lyon by one point. They went top of Ligue 1 with a 4-1 thrashing of Lens, but only remained there till Sunday night due to other results.

The French outfit have already began off-field tactics, Manager Laurent Blanc has warned Chelsea, stating that he believes his team could go through to the next round despite their slight disadvantage.

"“At Chelsea we will have fewer chances than this evening so we have to take them when they come, of course we believe we can go through.”-Laurent BlancSource: Daily Star"

Former Chelsea defender David Luiz also took a swipe at Mourinho. When asked what made the Portuguese manager so special, he replied “He is special for you, not for me.”

"“They are having a great season, defend well and have great players but above all I know my team. We will try to score there and play like we know how.”“We will have a good game plan and implement it the best way possible to achieve a great performance. Both can still qualify.”-David LuizSource: Daily Star"

PSG will still be without the injured trio of Lucas Moura, Yohan Cabaye and Serge Aurier, but they should not — and will not — be taken lightly in this fixture.

Chelsea have an impressive home record under Mourinho, so the Paris club face a tough task. The Blues will also have more rest ahead of the clash, having played their last match on Wednesday — a 1-0 victory vs West Ham — while PSG played over the weekend.

Prediction

This should be a difficult and entertaining match. Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard is in fine form, and will be very hard to deal with on the flanks, while Diego Costa — who has dipped in form since returning from his ban — could pop up with a goal at any moment.

The Blues still boast a mean defense, and have two of the best goalkeepers in the world, so they should be hard to break down.

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PSG aren’t pushovers themselves. They boast a star-studded front line, with Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and the amazing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

They will be on the attack, as they aren’t left with much of a choice; but if they score an early goal, they could sit back and frustrate Chelsea. However, the Blues — having home advantage and a huge confidence boost — should be able to get past The Parisians for a second successive season.

Final score: Chelsea – 1, Paris Saint-Germain – 0

Next: David Luiz Set For Emotional Clash

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