PSG 5 Chelsea 2
Late collapse probably costs Chelsea the tie. Yet another game where Chelsea shoot themselves in the foot playing out from the back when they really don’t need to. Chelsea got off to the worst possible start as Joao Neves headed back to Barcola who volleyed past Jorgensen to put PSG 1-0 up in the 10th minute, Chelsea were more than in the game and hit back with a goal themselves as Malo Gusto had most of the box to himself and his shot just about squeezed past Safonov to bring Chelsea level at 1-1 in the 28th minute. Then ten minutes later Palmer had a great chance saved by the PSG goalkeeper and they broke on the counter-attack from it as Ousmane Dembele feinted to pass wrongfooting Fofana and scoring with his right foot to put PSG 2-1 up in a hectic first half. Chelsea continued playing well and got their reward as Pedro Neto found Enzo Fernandez with a cutback who finished calmly to bring the sides level again at 2-2 in the 57th minute, Chelsea looked the more likely team to score again but Jorgensen passed it straight to Barcola who passed to substitute Kvarastkhelia who then layed it off to Vitinha who deftly lofted the ball over the Chelsea goalkeeper to put PSG 3-2 up on the night in the 74th minute, out of nowhere then ten minutes Kvarastkhelia scores a worldy from outside the box to put PSG 4-2 up and give PSG the advantage going to Stamford Bridge next week, until Chelsea capitulated just as the game finished allowing Hakimi down the right who squared it to Kvarastkhelia who finished past Jorgensen well and truly giving Chelsea a mountain to climb next week.
A joy to watch PSG at times tonight. This game was always going to have goals with the way both sides are playing at the minute but PSG’s quality going forward and off the bench was too much for Chelsea on the night, to be able to bring on Kvarastkhelia off the bench is a luxury that I don’t think any other club in world football has and he was outstanding when he came on. I was shocked to see him on the bench when the teams were announced and he came on clearly with a point to prove playing a part in each of the three goals after he was subbed on. Dembele and Barcola both played their part in the game scoring two great goals whilst the midfield we all know is one of the best in Europe were excellent, in particular Joao Neves who is arguably the most important player PSG have this season as there’s a team with and without him. If they can peak around this time like last season they are going to take some stopping from just about any team in the competition.
That result is tough on Chelsea. Up until the 74th you could make an argument that Chelsea were the better team in the game and they definitely would have been happy going back to Stamford Bridge at 2-2 but their concentration just slipped at the wrong time and it’s going to take some performance next week to go through. On the night I thought Enzo Fernandez was superb along with Pedro Neto who caused Hakimi real problems down that left-hand-side. The goalkeeping problem at Chelsea isn’t going away any time soon and they are going to need a top class keeper if they want to challenge for major honours in the future, I was hoping for more from Cole Palmer who almost single handily dismantled PSG in the Club World Cup Final in the summer but it just didn’t happen on the night for him and Joao Pedro who had very little to go at all night. Unfortunately for Chelsea it’s probably too big of a task to come back from 3 goals down against a PSG side that can score at will at home or away, you never know maybe Chelsea can pull off a ridiculous comeback at Stamford Bridge next week.
What a performance by Kvicha Kvarastkhelia. From the moment I set my eyes on Kvara at Napoli in that first season he’s been my favourite player in world football, that season under Spalleti with the duo of Osimhen and Kvarastkhelia was must watch television and I was gutted he left Napoli as I wouldn’t be able to watch him so much in Ligue 1 at PSG. His arrival sparked life into PSG last season in January culminating in scoring in the Champions League final against Inter to secure PSG’s first ever Champions League along with 6 other trophies. Yet he finds himself on the bench in a massive game against Chelsea in the round of 16 first leg for Doue and Barcola, I have no problems with either player but there’s levels to this game and Kvara showed it as soon as he came on. I’ve never really liked him playing off the right as one of his best attributes is cutting in off the left and shooting and that’s exactly what got PSG that all important 4th goal on the night, the 5th goal just capped off a magical performance from the bench from one of the best wingers in the world.
Any chance of a comeback at the Bridge. I mean probably not but we’ve seen PSG teams in the past capitulate in the second leg away from home before so Chelsea can exploit the weaknesses we’ve already seen in this PSG team. The problem Chelsea are going to have is stopping this PSG team scoring 2 or 3 which will make it an impossible task for them next week, the most important part is to score the first goal as we saw last year at Villa Park that you can make the PSG defenders nervous if you continually press them all night. If they want any chance of going through Cole Palmer is going to have to have an all timer performance that we saw from Federico Valverde tonight along with Chelsea’s defence keeping PSG at bay, I suppose we’ll find out next week as to whether or not Chelsea can pull off the comeback.