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Chelsea FC will be welcoming Paris Saint Germain once again in the Champions League on the 11th of March at Stamford Bridge, this time with a quarter final place up for grabs. This will be the second time in consecutive seasons where Laurent Blanc and Jose Mourinho will be facing against each other and Blanc will be desperate to take his revenge after crashing out of the tournament the previous year.
PSG were on the cusp of advancing until their hopes were dashed by the combined efforts of Andre Schurrle and Demba Ba. The French giants know what it feels like to lose at Stamford Bridge and will he hoping to avoid doing so two years running.
Let us jump right in to the expected formation and key players:
Next: Chelsea FC Lineup
Chelsea FC Lineup
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Chelsea FC will be coming back from a long weeks’ rest riding on a hard fought win against West Ham United. Most importantly, they are also coming into the match with a trophy in their bag which will give the players a huge boost to go forward and claim another one. Chelsea had a good week with a trophy and Manchester City dropping points, which also puts them in pole position to claim the Premier League title. Thus it can be expected that Jose will have the players pumped up for such an occasion.
The Blues will be at full strength, and will be welcoming back the Serbian midfielder Matic although his ban was only applicable in the domestic competitions. Jose will be opting for his strongest 11 for a match of this magnitude but I personally think he will be using his new found gem in the form of Kurt Zouma to pair with Matic in defensive midfield and push Fabregas to the number 10 position. This midfield triangle with Matic, Zouma and Fabregas upfront is really an exciting proposition.
Next: Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard:
Eden Hazard is always on the top of my list as I think he makes a massive difference in each and every match in which he plays. Against West Ham he was again the protagonist who headed the ball home to give Chelsea a narrow and tough away win.
He was making his classic runs through the middle of the pitch during counter attacks along with troubling defenders on the wings with his amazing trickery. If he is at his best, Eden Hazard will be one of the main reasons why Chelsea will book a place in the quarter finals of the Champions League.
Next: Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic:
Welcome back! Nemanj Matic returns after a short layoff as he was sitting out due to a domestic ban. Although his presence in the midfield was not dearly felt due to Jose’s new found talent Zouma, but his ability to read the game and stop play along with an impeccable passing range to make the play upfront was definitely missed. His shielding will provide the Chelsea back line with a much needed protection and might just prevent PSG from scoring an all important away goal at the Bridge.
PSG on the other hand will be buoyed by their massive win against Lens in Ligue 1. They will be less rested than that of Chelsea FC which can result in fatigue and that can be a major hindrance in a match of this significance.
Next: PSG Lineup
PSG Lineup
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David Luiz was brilliant in his new defensive midfield role and I believe that he will he again deployed in the same manner where he can curb the Chelsea midfield from exploiting the defensive line. PSG will be happy to welcome back Javier Pastore from injury who can make a difference from the bench, but he won’t probably start the match.
Blaise Matuidi will the one to watch as his movement in the final third caused Chelsea FC problems in the previous fixture and eventually his cross met the head of Edinson Cavani which led to the equalizer.
Next: Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn’t at his usual best against Chelsea FC in the last encounter. He hardly had any touches on the ball throughout the game and although he took some shots at the Chelsea goal, they didn’t cause much problem for Courtois.
His ability in the air was dangerous however and his size advantage over Cesar Azpilicueta was key for PSG. His headers towards Chelsea’s goal were more fearsome than his shots and he brought out the best in the young Belgian keeper.
He will be hoping to put his name on the score sheet and I think he will cause the Chelsea FC defense some problems. Terry and co. must be at their best to quell Zlatan.
Next: Blaise Matuidi
Blaise Matuidi:
Blaise Matuidi is one of the best midfielders which I have seen and I would love if he played in a more competitive league. His darting runs into the opposition half along with his tracking back without the ball is one of the most balanced I have seen in a long time. Ivanovic had a tough time with Matuidi on the wings as the Frenchman was running riot and putting crosses into the Chelsea box which eventually led to a goal. He will be equally important in the return leg.
Chelsea against PSG has become one of the best fixtures in recent times and like the previous ties this one also won’t disappoint. I think, Chelsea being at home where they are formidable and with a crucial away goal will edge it in the end and go through to the quarterfinals.
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