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With the score 2-2 after 74 minutes of the first leg in the Parc des Princes, Chelsea must have felt much optimism about completing the job at Stamford Bridge if the scoreline stayed the same.
But a mistake from reserve goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen allowed Paris Saint-Germain to edge in front and a late brace from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made it a destructive 5-2 defeat.
Did that late burst take the tie away from Chelsea? It certainly looks that way.
The case to say otherwise will reference last summer’s Club World Cup final when the Blues stunned PSG 3-0 in the final in New Jersey.
But perhaps the pro-Chelsea argument ends there.
Chelsea have drawn 2-2 with Leeds, 1-1 with Burnley and lost 1-0 to Newcastle in their last three home games.
In their last eight matches, they’ve only been ahead at full-time in two of them.
How to watch Chelsea v PSG
Chelsea v PSG kicks off at 20:00 GMT on Wednesday, March 17 at Stamford Bridge.
The game will be shown live on Discovery+ & TNT Sports 2, with coverage starting from 19:00.
TalkSPORT 2 will provide full match commentary.
Chelsea team news
Chelsea have been dealt a blow with the news that skipper Reece James has been ruled out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury. Malo Gusto is likely to start at right-back.
Estevao and Jamie Gittens also look set to miss out with the same problem, while Levi Colwill is a long-term absentee.
Pedro Neto has missed the last two Premier League games with a domestic suspension but will be available to face PSG after dodging a ban for pushing a ball boy in the first leg.
Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos need to avoid a booking or they would miss the first leg of the quarter-final if Chelsea go through. That’s a big ‘if’ of course.
Chelsea expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Fernandez, Palmer, Neto; Joao Pedro.
PSG team news
The defending champions will again be without midfielder Fabian Ruiz who has a knee injury.
Quentin Ndjantou is also unavailable due to a hamstring issue but otherwise it looks like a clean bill of health for Luis Enrique’s team.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes are both one yellow away from a ban.
Kvaratskhelia was the only player to be booked in the first leg.
PSG expected line-up
(4-3-3) Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola.
Chelsea v PSG stats
– Chelsea are winless in their last five Champions League games against PSG (D2 L3); their joint-longest winless run against an opponent in the competition (also 5 v Bayern Munich – April 2005 to September 2025).
– PSG are unbeaten in their last five games against English teams in the Champions League (W4 D1), and could go six in a row without defeat against them in the competition for the first time here.
– PSG are looking to progress from their fourth consecutive Champions League knockout stage tie against English opponents (previously v Liverpool, Aston Villa & Arsenal last season).
– Only one team in Champions League history has gone on to eliminate the holders in the knockout stages after losing the first leg by as many as three goals.
– Chelsea have lost their last three games in the knockout stages of the Champions League, and have never previously lost four in a row.
– There were seven goals scored from just 18 shots in the first leg between Paris SG (5) and Chelsea (2).
– Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has averaged a goal (6) or assist (4) every 63 minutes in the Champions League this season (10 in 10 games).
PSG v Chelsea predictions
After eliminating Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal in last season’s Champions League, PSG are now just 1/14 to add Chelsea to their list of Premier League victims.
Chelsea are 9/1 to turn around the three-goal deficit but that would require a huge leap of faith for even the most ardent of Blues fans.
Although Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has some good ideas, he’s very raw at this level and there’s good reason to think that Luis Enrique will outsmart him.
So while PSG only have to avoid a real calamity to progress, they’re worth a bet to win on the night at 2/1.
While Chelsea racked up another 90+ minutes of intense Premier League action against Newcastle, PSG had the weekend off.
Perhaps that’s a bigger issue than we think and the poor collective performance of English sides in Europe last week suggests it has some merit.
PSG won away at Liverpool and Arsenal last season and can do so again in west London.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was a key figure in the first leg and has averaged a goal (six) or assist (four) every 63 minutes in the Champions League this season.
Back him to score or assist at 6/5.
