Chelsea require something special at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night if they’re to eliminate holders Paris Saint-Germain from the Champions League.
The Blues were competitive for much of the first leg in Paris, but let a decent position go to waste. Filip Jörgensen’s costly mistake with the ball at his feet allowed Vitinha to finish superbly, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia subsequently ran amok off the bench to lift PSG to a 5–2 win on home soil.
The Parisians then enjoyed the weekend off and were boosted in Ligue 1 by Lens losing 2–1 at Lorient, while Chelsea huffed and puffed their way to a damaging 1–0 defeat to Newcastle United.
Anthony Gordon’s strike proved the difference at Stamford Bridge, and meant Chelsea lost ground in the race to finish in the top five. Still, the Bridge should be enthused for Tuesday’s grand occasion, with Liam Rosenior’s side needing the channel the heroics of the unfancied Blues team that embarked on a remarkable run to glory in 2012.
It was a 4–1 victory over Napoli in the round of 16 that sparked their unlikely success.
Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain Score Prediction
Blues Rally But Fall Well Short
Another entertaining affair is in store on Wednesday night, with Chelsea needing to go all-out to give themselves a chance.
An early goal is crucial, but they’ve also got to be stout defensively. The tie will quickly escape them if they surrender too much space to a PSG team laden with difference-makers in the final third.
It’s not in Luis Enrique‘s DNA to contain and counter, even if PSG are capable of hurting their hosts in transition, and their bravery could play into Chelsea’s hands. Still, it’s a huge task for the Premier League side, especially given the current mood in west London. There’s already speculation about Rosenior not being the man in charge come the start of next season.
- Chelsea’s defensive woes: The Blues have kept just 13 clean sheets in 47 games this season, and just three have come under Rosenior. The courageous approach without the ball isn’t paying dividends, with teams exploiting the risks that arrive as a by-product of heavy man-orientation.
- Reece James’s absence: News of the captain’s hamstring injury ahead of the return leg is a big blow to not only Chelsea’s chances of mounting an unlikely comeback but also ensuring they finish in the top five. James had been having an excellent season.
- PSG’s record vs. Premier League opposition: Luis Enrique’s side have enjoyed themselves against English teams of late, winning four of their previous five meetings.
Prediction: Chelsea 2–2 Paris Saint-Germain
Chelsea have been dealt a huge blow ahead of the second leg, with captain Reece James sustaining a hamstring injury that’s set to keep him sidelined for several weeks.
The Blues were forced into another change between the posts on Saturday, with Filip Jörgensen missing out through injury. Robert Sánchez came back in against Newcastle but was powerless to stop the Blues from falling to a 1–0 defeat.
Jörgensen’s fitness setback, while not believed to be major, could see Sánchez keep his place.
Jamie Gittens was due to make his return from a hamstring injury at the weekend, but Rosenior said the winger felt his hamstring on Friday and wasn’t risked as a result. Estêvão was back in training on Monday and could be back in the matchday squad.
Pedro Neto and Andrey Santos are likely to come back into Rosenior‘s team midweek, with the former missing a second domestic game through suspension on Saturday.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. PSG (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernández, Neto; Pedro.
Paris Saint-Germain Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
PSG had the weekend off to prepare for the second leg, and Enrique‘s squad is perhaps as healthy as it’s been all season.
Ousmane Dembélé has endured a frustrating campaign because of injuries, but he was back to full fitness in time for the first leg and should benefit from PSG’s weekend break. He’ll lead the visiting attack at Stamford Bridge, and Kvaratskhelia surely has to come back into the starting lineup, given the impact he had off the bench last week.
Fabián Ruiz is likely to be the visitors’ only notable absentee, with the Spaniard, so crucial to PSG’s success last season, dealing with a knee injury. Warren Zaïre-Emery has often filled in alongside Vitinha and João Neves, and will likely be called upon again.
PSG predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain Kick Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Stamford Bridge
- Date: Tuesday, March 17
- Kick-off Time: 8:00 p.m. GMT / 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT
- Referee: Slavko Vinčić (SVN)
- VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain on TV, Live Stream
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Country |
TV Channel/Live Strean |
|---|---|
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United States |
Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App |
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United Kingdom |
TNT Sports 2, discovery+, discovery+ App |
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Canada |
DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
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Mexico |
Max Mexico |
