PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN V CHELSEA TALKING POINTS Jose Mourinhos first European outing as manager of Chelsea was against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes in September 2004. This is the Parisiens second appearance since then in Europes elite competition, which Chelsea of course won in 2012. Only five other clubs from capital cities - Real Madrid, Red Star Belgrade, Steaua Bucharest, Benfica and Ajax - have lifted the European Cup and Laurent Blancs Qatar-backed crew are widely tipped to join our select group. It is up to Chelsea to make them down and out in Paris and London over the next week. We meet up again with a couple of old boys: central defender Alex, and Claude Makelele who excelled in that stunning 3-0 victory for the Londoners a decade ago and is now PSGs assistant coach. France also reacquaints itself with the magic of Eden Hazard, twice their Young Player of the Year, twice their Player of the Year over four stellar seasons with Lille. PSGs current head coach Laurent Blanc was in charge of Bordeaux when our two sides met in the 2008/09 group stage. He will not have fond memories of the game in London - a 4-0 drubbing - but back in France, Blanc having called on his players to match the Blues physically man-for-man, a late equaliser for the hosts brought a 1-1 scoreline. Mourinho will ensure his side appreciate the importance of an away goal in the first leg tonight and the Parisiens have only managed one clean sheet at home in this competition, a 3-0 win over Benfica. However they have racked up the goals on the road, scoring four or more three times. Next Tuesday could deliver a lively denouement to this tie. KEY STAT Chelsea are the only English team to have beaten Paris Saint-Germain on their home ground. Champions League top scorers Cristiano Ronaldo 13 630 minutes played Zlatan Ibrahimovic 10 601 Lionel Messi 8 450 Diego Costa 7 375 TACTICAL BRIEF An anaemic first half at Crystal Palace - in complete contrast to the Arsenal game - was not the best preparation for this tough trip to the French capital. PSG manager Laurent Blanc, the former Manchester United defender, has sent his team out in a 4-3-3 formation in every competition. Upfront that means our former adversaries from Napoli, wide forwards Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi, play behind one of the worlds great strikers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The former Neapolitans were very impressive and shared the three goals that endangered our Champions League progress in 2012, but they were overwhelmed in the second leg at the Bridge. Their new side is a far more complete outfit. PSGs midfield anchor is Thiago Motta, formerly of Jose Mourinhos Internazionale. Slightly advanced of him are driving midfielder Blaise Matuidi, the rising star of Les Bleus, and goalscoring Italian youngster Marco Verratti. Johan Cabaye joined from Newcastle United in January but usually starts on the bench. Both try to press and win possession high up the field, as will Chelseas advanced trio. The Parisiens full-backs are usually Maxwell, sold from Inter by Mourinho in 2009, and, on the right, injured Gregory van der Wiels ageing understudy, Christophe Jallet, and their system leaves the flanks a little more exposed than under previous manager Carlo Ancelotti. These are probably the weakest positions in PSGs make-up and Blanc has an important call on who squares up to the threat of Eden Hazard, twice Frances Ligue 1 Player of the Year, in 2010/11 and 11/12. The choices are fallible Jallet, who has faced the former Lille forward four times without tasting victory, or 19-year-old Portuguese Marquinhos, who also offers a goal threat (he is the only PSG defender to have netted in this competition). The absent Van der Wiel has assisted more goals than any teammate in this competition. One of the French leaders centre-half options is well known to Blues fans. The Brazilian Alex was loved at the Bridge for his stunning long-range free-kicks. His partner, skipper and most influential figure of PSGs rearguard, is the 29-year-old Brazil international Thiago Silva, once of AC Milan. Goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu vies with veteran Gianluigi Buffon for the Italy Jersey. He is a fine and agile shot stopper, equally capable of thwarting with his feet and hands. However he is sometimes guilty of not parrying clear away from danger, handing sharp attackers a second chance, and is not in his comfort zone when called upon to dominate the area - something that the Blues will be keen to test at set-plays, with aerial strength especially of John Terry, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic. The Rouge-et-Bleu have conceded several times from set-plays, despite offering a serious threat in those situations themselves at the other end. Like our domestic rivals Manchester City, the Paris clubs main strength lies in the spine of Sirigu, Silva, Motta and Ibrahimovic and they have players either side who can have a significant impact. They are adept at stifling a game and protecting a lead. French opponents have attempted to counter PSGs quality by pressing Silva and Motta and restricting the supply line to their pacy wide offensive players, Verratti and Matuidi. However the general quality of Ligue 1 is not great and the leaders have generally endured, kept possession and dictated play as opponents tire. An easy way around attempts to stifle their patient build-up is Ibrahimovic dropping deeper to receive the ball, holding it up and bringing in their advanced midfielders Lavezzi and Cavani. Ibrahimovic is a wily character and likes to wander out of position, hoping to draw a centre-back with him. John Terry and Gary Cahill have dealt well with other players trying this and were in brilliant form up to the Palace setback last weekend. Cavani is equally comfortable playing as an out and out centre-forward if needs be, and Blanc seems to like one winger (Lavezzi or Lucas Moura) and one inside-forward such as Cavani playing closer to his top scorer. One weakness at Champions League level is that none of the front three works especially hard to win back possession, putting more pressure on their midfield trio. However the player probably best equipped to control that crucial area for Chelsea is Nemanja Matic, who is ineligible in this competition. Ramires has the running to extend his opposite number and David Luiz excelled in central midfield against Man City and Arsenal, but it would no surprise to see Mourinho turn to the experience of Frank Lampard, so impressive at home to Galatasaray in the previous round. With Motta a force in the centre, Chelsea may find more freedom down the flanks, where Matuidi/Maxwell or Verratti/Jallet can struggle when put on the back foot or outnumbered. As the Arsenal game showed this is a very strong area for the Blues, with Hazard/Oscar, Andre Schurrle/Willian or Ramires are all capable of rampaging down the wings. One blow for the Blues is that Samuel Etoo has not travelled because of injury. The experienced Cameroonian, with 33 goals in 80 Champions League matches to his credit, is a big loss. With the second and decisive leg to come Chelsea will hope to have something to defend in a sold-out evening at the Bridge next Tuesday. Chelseas biggest away win in the Champions League 20/10/1999 - Galatasaray 0-5 Chelsea - First group stage PSGs biggest home win in the Champions League 24/10/2000 - PSG 7-2 Rosenborg - First group stage CHELSEA STATS Chelsea have progressed in six of our previous eight quarter-final ties. We are aiming to reach the semi-final for the seventh time in 12 Champions League campaigns. Jose Mourinho is attempting to be the first manager to win the European Cup with three different teams having won with Porto in 2004 and Internazionale in 2010. Chelseas away record against French teams 1999/00 Marseille L 0-1 Champions League second group stage 2003/04 Monaco L 1-3 Champions League semi-final first leg (agg: 3-5) 2004/05 Paris-SG W 3-0 Champions League group stage 2008/09 Bordeaux D 1-1 Champions League group stage 2010/11 Marseille L 0-1 Champions League group stage Champions League Group E Sep 18 Basel (h) L 1-2 Oct 1 Steaua Bucharest (a) W 4-0 Oct 22 Schalke (a) W 3-0 Nov 6 Schalke (h) W 3-0 Nov 26 Basel (a) L 0-1 Dec 11 Steaua Bucharest (h) W 1-0 Round of 16 Feb 26 Galatasaray (a) D 1-1 Mar 18 Galatasaray (h) W 2-0 Champions League scorers (15) Etoo 3, Torres 3, Ba 2, Ramires 2, Cahill 1, Hazard 1, Lampard 1, Oscar 1, own goals 1 Chelseas last 10 years in Europe 2003/04 - Champions League - semi-final 2004/05 - Champions League - semi-final 2005/06 - Champions League - round of 16 2006/07 - Champions League - semi-final 2007/08 - Champions League - runners-up 2008/09 - Champions League - semi-final 2009/10 - Champions League - round of 16 2010/11 - Champions League - quarter-final 2011/12 - Champions League - winners 2012/13 - Europa League - winners, having transferred from the Champions League group stage In 2014 we have kept 11 clean sheets and conceded just eight goals in 18 games in all competitions Last six results Mar 1 Fulham (a) W 3-1 Mar 8 Tottenham (h) W 4-0 Mar 15 Aston Villa (a) L 0-1 Mar 18 Galatasaray (Champions League h) W 2-0 Mar 22 Arsenal (h) W 6-0 Mar 29 Crystal Palace (a) L 0-1 Chelseas next three games Sat 5 Apr Stoke City home 5.30pm Tue 8 Apr Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League) home 7.45pm Sun 13 Apr Swansea away 4.07pm MILESTONES Petr Cech is due to play his 100th European match for Chelsea (89 Champions League, nine Europa League and two UEFA Super Cup) and will join John Terry and Frank Lampard as the only players to reach that milestone for Chelsea. If selected, Frank Lampard will make his 100th Champions League appearance for Chelsea. His next converted penalty will be his 50th for the Blues. If selected, it will be Hazard and Oscars 50th game of the season for club and country. PSG STATS Founded 1970 Major honours 3 French league titles, last in 2013 8 French Cups, last in 2010 3 French League Cups, last in 2008 3 French Super Cups, last in 2013 1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1996 PSGs best season in this competition was in 1994/95 when they reached the Champions League semi-final. They lost 3-0 on aggregate to eventual runners-up AC Milan. Paris St-Germain are in the quarter-finals for the second time in successive seasons and third time in all. Last year they lost on away goals to Barcelona and in 1994/95 they beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate helped by a George Weah goal in Camp Nou. PSG are unbeaten in 28 European home games, since their last defeat to Hapoel Tel-Aviv in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage. Parc des Princes has a capacity of 48,712. PSGs home crowds in the group stage were 44,732 (Benfica), 43,091 (Anderlecht), 44,466 (Olympiacos) and 45,596 against Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16. Paris St-Germain have won 16 and drawn four of their 21 home games this season in all competitions. Only Montpellier, in the cup, have been victorious at Parc des Princes this term. Last ten league seasons 2003/04 - 2nd 2004/05 - 9th 2005/06 - 9th 2006/07 - 15th 2007/08 - 16th 2008/09 - 6th 2009/10 - 13th 2010/11 - 4th 2011/12 - 2nd 2012/13 - 1st PSG won Ligue 1 last season for the first time in 19 years, winning 25 of their 38 matches and 83 points, 12 clear of runners-up Olympique Marseille. PSG have played seven matches against English sides and have won only one, against Liverpool in April 1997. Paris St-Germain have won their last nine matches in all competitions. In all this season their record is 45 games, 34 wins, eight draws, three defeats, 108 goals, 32 goals against. They have conceded only one goal in their last six games. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (25) and Edinson Cavani (14) are Ligue 1s top two scorers. PSGs home games against English teams in Europe 1993/94 Arsenal D 1-1 Cup Winners Cup semi-final, first leg (agg: 1-2) 1994/95 Chelsea L 0-3 Champions League group stage 1997/98 Liverpool W 3-0 Cup Winners Cup semi-final, first leg (agg: 3-2) Ten-year European record 2003/04 - Did not qualify 2004/05 - Champions League group stage 2005/06 - Did not qualify 2006/07 - UEFA Cup round of 16 2007/08 - Did not qualify 2008/09 - UEFA Cup quarter-finals 2009/10 - Did not qualify 2010/11 - Europa League round of 16 2011/12 - Europa League group stage 2012/13 - Champions League quarter-finals Champions League Group C table P W D L F A Pts PSG 6 4 1 1 16 5 13 Olympiacos 6 3 1 2 10 8 10 Benfica 6 3 1 2 8 8 10 Anderlecht 6 0 1 5 4 17 1 Champions League Group C Sep 17 Olympiacos (a) W 4-1 Oct 2 Benfica (h) W 3-0 Oct 23 Anderlecht (a) W 5-0 Nov 5 Anderlecht (h) D 1-1 Nov 27 Olympiacos (h) W 2-1 Dec 10 Benfica (a) L 1-2 Round of 16 Feb 18 Bayer Leverkusen (a) W 4-0 Mar 12 Bayer Leverkusen (h) W 2-1 Champions League scorers (22): Ibrahimovic 10 (1 pen), Cavani 4, Marquinhos 3, Thiago Motta 2, Cabaye 1, Lavezzi 1, Matuidi 1. Last six domestic results Feb 23 Toulouse (a) W 4-2 Mar 2 Marseille (h) W 2-0 Mar 8 Bastia (a) W 3-0 Mar 16 Sainte-Etienne (h) W 2-0 Mar 21 Lorient (a) W 1-0 Mar 28 Nice (a) W 1-0 Ligue 1 top five Pld Gd Pts 1 Paris Saint-Germain 31 +53 76 2 Monaco 31 +24 63 3 Lille 31 +16 57 4 Saint-Etienne 31 +15 54 5 Lyon 31 +9 48 THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE Referee Milorad Mazic, his two assistant referees and two additional assistant referees are from Serbia. This is only his eighth Champions League game. OTHERWISE ENGAGED Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah are cup-tied. Champions League bookings list Players receive a one-match suspension for collecting three and five yellow cards PSG (12): Van der Wiel 3 (already served a suspension), Matuidi 2, Rabiot 2, Alex 1, Cavani 1, Jallet 1, Menez 1, Motta 1. Chelsea (14): Ivanovic 2, Mikel 2, Ramires 2, Cahill 1, Cech 1, Cole 1, Lampard 1, Oscar 1, Schurrle 1, Terry 1, Van Ginkel 1. #maestro
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 10:42:10 +0000
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