Chelsea vs. PSG: Team News, Predicted Lineups
Guus Hiddink has called on Chelsea's key players
to deliver a performance on Wednesday that will send the Blues through
to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
The Blues face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their last-16
clash at Stamford Bridge and the tie is finely balanced. The French
outfit lead 2-1 on aggregate after their success in Paris three weeks
ago, but with an away goal under their belt, Chelsea are still well
within a shout of progressing."Diego [Costa] has scored recently in not the worst league in the world," Hiddink said at his pre-match press conference, discussing the threat his side can boast.
"He is frequently scoring since December. Before that it was he and the team that had a problem not scoring, so let’s hope and see if he can make it on the European level as well."
Costa has 10 goals to his name under Hiddink and has helped fire the Blues up the Premier League table. He's been a real menace to defences, as PSG experienced during the first leg of this tie.
Had the forward's luck been in at the Parc des Princes, he may well have come away from that game with a brace but was denied by the woodwork and goalkeeper Kevin Trapp.
"Eden, at the time when we were playing away in Paris, was just coming back from a rather severe injury and we could not ask him to be top game-fit," Hiddink explained.
"We are now some weeks further on and he can and must show tomorrow what he is capable of, which is more than in the away game, but the reason for his substitution was to not go into a danger zone due to his recent comeback from his injury.
"We think he can deliver now at full fitness."
Chelsea need him to, like they do the rest of their stars. If they don't, their European dream will be over for another season and perhaps longer given their precarious position in the Premier League.
This game feels very much now or never for their season.
Last 5 Games
| Feb. 16 | Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Chelsea |
| Feb. 21 | Chelsea 5-1 Manchester City |
| Feb. 27 | Southampton 1-2 Chelsea |
| Mar. 1 | Norwich City 1-2 Chelsea |
| Mar. 5 | Chelsea 1-1 Stoke City |
Chelsea FC
| Feb. 16 | PSG 2-1 Chelsea |
| Feb. 20 | PSG 4-1 Reims |
| Feb. 28 | Lyon 2-1 PSG |
| Mar. 2 | Saint-Etienne 1-3 PSG |
| Mar. 5 | PSG 0-0 Montpellier |
Paris Saint-Germain FC
Costa is expected to start for the Blues after missing the weekend's clash with Stoke City, while Pedro has also been back in training this week.
The big question for PSG is whether or not Marco Verratti will pass a late fitness test to make the starting XI at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Rahman; Mikel, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.
Paris Siant-Germain (4-3-3): Trapp; Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Luiz, Maxwell; Pastore, Motta, Matuidi; Di Maria, Ibrahimvoc, Lucas.
Key Players
Cesc Fabregas
The Spaniard has been excellent in recent weeks, returning to the sort of form that helped Chelsea enjoy so much success last season. It's no coincidence that Costa has rediscovered his scoring touch since Fabregas has been back to his best, too.
As Chelsea's playmaker, so much depends on Fabregas producing the goods to unlock the PSG rearguard. If he isn't supplying Costa, the Blues will struggle.
David Luiz
How will this one turn out? Will Luiz haunt Chelsea like he did last season? Or can his former team-mates exact some form of revenge by dumping him and PSG out of the Champions League?
There are so many match-winners in this PSG side, but Luiz's history with Chelsea means he stands out as being a major threat. He did it last year with a header to send the tie into extra-time at Stamford Bridge before the Ligue 1 champions eventually won on away goals.
Chelsea will want to avoid a similar outcome this time out, while Luiz is sure to be ready to rise to the occasion.
Prediction
Chelsea 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain
