It's Zlatan vs Terry, Luiz vs Costa, Blanc vs Mourinho as
Europe's elite competition returns with a bang this evening in the
French capital
The Champions League is back! Woooooo!
And it is back with a bang, as Chelsea travel to Paris to take on the might of Ligue 1 champions PSG.
It
is a replay of last year's quarter-final, where Jose Mourinho's side
sneaked through thanks to a late Demba Ba strike in the second leg at
Stamford Bridge.
The Blues will be hoping to not leave it quite so late this time, or give themselves a two-goal deficit to overturn after the first leg.
Failing
to channel our excitement at Zlatan Ibrahimovic AND David Luiz being on
terrestrial television simultaneously, here are Mirror Football's 11
things you need to know ahead of Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea.
In pictures: Chelsea 2-0 PSG
1. When is the match and where can I see it?
The match will kick-off at 19:45 on Tuesday evening and you can catch all the action live on ITV 1, Sky channel 103.
2. Team news
PSG: The French champions will be without Lucas Moura, Yohan Cabaye and Serge Aurier for the clash with Chelsea.
Marquinhos
is expected to be fit, as are Javier Pastore, Blaise Matuidi and Thiago
Motta. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to lead the line, with former Blues
defender David Luiz at the heat of the defence.
Chelsea: Diego
Costa will return to lead the line for the Blues after serving a
three-match domestic suspension for his stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can.
Jon
Obi Mikel will miss out through a knee injury, but Oscar should return
after missing the Everton game with a minor problem. Thibaut Courtois is
expected to be in goal.
3. Predicted sides
PSG:
Chelsea:
4. Reasons for PSG fans to be optimistic
- They are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions.
- Zlatan. Just, Zlatan.
- They beat Chelsea 3-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.
5. Reasons for Chelsea fans to be optimistic
- Diego Costa is back.
- The Blues have good memories of playing PSG, after their famous comeback win last season.
- They are unbeaten in the Champions League this term.
6. Previous meetings
In pictures: PSG 3-1 Chelsea
- 15 September 2004: PSG 0-3 Chelsea
- 24 November 2004: Chelsea 0-0 PSG
- 2 April 2014: PSG 3-1 Chelsea
- 8 April 2014: Chelsea 2-0 PSG
7. Recent form
PSG - Last 5 games
- PSG 2-2 Caen (Ligue 1)
- PSG 2-0 Nantes (French Cup)
- Lyon 1-1 PSG (Ligue 1)
- Lille 0-1 PSG (French Cup)
- PSG 1-0 Rennes (Ligue 1)
Chelsea - Last 5 games
- Chelsea 1-0 Everton (Premier League)
- Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea (Premier League)
- Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City (Premier League)
- Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool (AET) (League Cup)
- Chelsea 2-4 Bradford (FA Cup)
8. PSG's key man
Dare. To. Zlatan.
PSG have a star cast, but it is impossible to look past their leading light up front.
He's
one of the best strikers in the world - I know it, you know it and
you'd better believe he knows it - and he will be out to pile the misery
on Chelsea this evening.
He has two goals in his last three
appearances, and notched a couple of goals in the group stages,
including one against former club Barcelona.
If PSG are to take a
lead to Stamford Bridge, and you feel they'll need to if they are to
progress, they will be looking towards the Swede to find the back of the
net.
9. Chelsea's key man
Loic Remy and Didier Drogba are more than adequate strikers, but the Blues will be delighted to have Diego Costa back in their ranks this evening.
The Spaniard has been a bigger hit than anyone could have
imagined after his switch from Atletico Madrid, taking to English
football like the proverbial duck to water.
He has hit 17 goals
in 19 league appearances for the Blues, but surprisingly didn't find the
net in their Champions League group matches. He will be hoping to put
that right tonight.
Costa has missed Chelsea's last three
domestic fixtures, but will be unleashed from the start in Paris, and
will be looking to get right at £50million man David Luiz.
The away goal will be as vital as ever, and Costa is as good a bet as any to get Jose Mourinho's side on the scoreboard.
10. Betting odds
PSG win: 7/4
Draw: 21/10
Chelsea win: 9/5
*Odds gathered from Paddy Power
11. Quote corner
Jose Mourinho
on turning down the PSG job: “I know the PSG project well, I know it
well because when they started this project with the owner, the
president and Leonardo, I was to be the coach.
“I met them in Qatar. The project was to start dominating in
France, then Europe. The domination in France is there, they are
champions, champions, champions.
“They know they are going to be champions. They know other teams will not resist and that they can even lose a few matches.
“But
I didn’t go because I was at Real Madrid and it was a real ambition for
me to be a champion in Spain, England and Italy. It was not the right
moment for me to go. For an English team it’s more difficult than other
teams.
“You can see it. The last two English teams to win the Champions League finished fifth and sixth. Chelsea and Liverpool."
David Luiz
on leaving Chelsea: “People tried to make stories about me and Mourinho
but we never had any history. He was the boss and decided who plays and
who doesn’t.
Reunion: Luiz will face off against his old club
“He didn’t try [to keep me] too much because I was in Brazil
for the World Cup and we just spoke on the telephone. And he said ‘It’s
OK, you can go’.
“Chelsea offered me a new contract and I said to them ‘I’m not feeling the same thing like I was feeling years ago."
Laurent Blanc
on Jose Mourinho: "I expect him (Verratti) to take his responsibility,
and I have no fears about that. We expect a lot of him. It's about how
he controls and manages himself. He has to show he has improved on that
level.
"I know Jose Mourinho a bit, and I know he'll raise the
temperature on the match. So my players need to be cold, calm, mustn't
react, even when it is hot out there on the turf.
"They must stay calm and cold. We can't afford any more yellow cards. It's a real test for him, but I think he'll do well."
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