Chelsea FC will face off with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The draw was made this morning from Nyon, Switzerland with cult hero Gianni Infantino taking up his usual role as draw director. Chelsea were handed a tie with PSG, meaning that the two sides will square off in the knockout stages of Europe’s premier tournament for the third consecutive year.
Having managed to finish on top of their group, potential Blues opponents were PSG, Juventus, PSV, Benfica, Roma and Gent. Such is Chelsea’s luck in the Champions League draw and such is the way in which their season has turned out so far, they were inevitably given the toughest opponent from that list.
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In times like these, you have to find the positives from somewhere, so let’s take a moment to laugh at Arsenal. After a heroic 3-0 victory over Olympiacos that secured their qualification (they needed to win by at least two goals), they have been rewarded with a tie against Barcelona.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
Now, people will undoubtedly question our laughter given that we’re playing PSG, but frankly no Chelsea fan believes that the club can actually win the competition this season. Arsenal, meanwhile, have been riding high after their great escape and their fans have been all smug. Hence it’s a relief to learn that the Gunners, and Arsene Wenger in particular, will undoubtedly get absolutely smashed in the next round.
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But back to Chelsea. This is exactly the same matchup as last season, where the two also squared off in the Round of 16. For those who need reminding, a 1-1 draw in France was followed by a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge meaning that the Blues went out on away goals.
The 2013/14 season, meanwhile, saw Chelsea triumph over PSG in a quarter-final. A crucial away goal obtained in a 3-1 first leg loss allowed the Blues to progress with a 2-0 triumph at home.
PSG have been absolutely dominant in Ligue 1 so far this season as they sit at the top of the table a massive 17 points ahead of second place. The reigning French champions are undefeated and despite the league not being overly competitive, this is an impressive record nonetheless.
If some Chelsea fans harboured hopes of a 2012 repeat, this draw would have dashed them all. Having said that, it may even be beneficial for the squad as they can now attack this tie with a carefree attitude.
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Here is the draw in full (where are Manchester United?), the ties will be played in February and March.
Gent v Wolfsburg
Roma v Real Madrid
Paris St-Germain v Chelsea
Arsenal v Barcelona
Juventus v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid
Benfica v Zenit St Petersburg
Dynamo Kiev v Manchester City
Barcelona LOL.