Paris Saint-Germain are through into the quarterfinals of the Champions League after a dramatic 2-2 draw after extra time at Stamford Bridge. Despite being down to 10 men for the vast majority of the match, their couple of away goals were sufficient to overturn the 1-1 draw from the first leg.
3 things we learned from PSG’s away goals victory over Chelsea
A 3-3 aggregate draw has seen Paris Saint-Germain eliminate Chelsea from the Champions League.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The game got off to a pleasingly brisk start, with PSG in particular moving the ball around the field with pace and purpose. But despite their promising attacking interchanges, clear-cut chances for both sides in the opening exchanges were non-existent.
Indeed, there’s no doubting that the biggest talking point of the opening period came in the middle of the field just past the half hour, when Zlatan Ibrahimović‘s lunge at Chelsea midfielder Oscar earned him a red card. It was a decision that seemed to look worse in real time than on the replay, and was probably a little harsh.
Suffice to say, PSG were very aggrieved to have their star attacker sent off, though it certainly gave the game some extra bite.
That decision may have gone Chelsea's way, but a penalty shot shortly before halftime didn't. Diego Costa charged into the box only to be tripped by PSG attacker Edinson Cavani, though the referee adjudged no foul to have been committed. This time, the visitors were the lucky party.
The result was that the game stayed goalless through to the whistle, with both sides having reason to feel frustrated.
Despite being a man down, PSG were still able to make life difficult for Chelsea early in the second half. Maxwell's early effort flashed wide off a deflection, before the hosts were forced into defending a string of corners swung into the middle. The Parisians went even closer just short of the hour, though a counter culminated in a Cavani shot striking the post after he'd rounded Thibaut Courtois.
If either side had the momentum it was 10-man PSG, and inside the final 20 minutes, they were again on the offensive. A quick interchange between Javier Pastore and Blaise Matuidi bought the former some space to pull the trigger in the box, though Courtois got down to tip the ball away.
That chance proved to be the last for PSG before their profligacy was eventually punished, with Gary Cahill lashing a corner home inside the final 10 minutes.
But the drama wasn’t done there.
With just five minutes of the match remaining, David Luiz got up to power an Ezequiel Lavezzi corner into the back of the net against his former club. It was a more than deserved equalizer for Laurent Blanc’s side, and meant the game headed for extra time.
Mourinho was in no mood for messing around, and responded by throwing veteran striker Didier Drogba on in place of midfielder Ramires. However, when Chelsea retook the lead just over five minutes into extra time, it was the result of a moment of defensive madness rather than great attacking invention. A blatant and needless handball by defender Thiago Silva gave Eden Hazard the chance to step up and score from the spot, and he didn't disappoint.
PSG didn’t panic after going behind, but were quickly running out of time to find a winning goal. Eventually, with just over five minutes remaining, they did. A brilliant jump from Silva allowed him beat John Terry to the ball and power a header into the back of the net from deep in the box. It was a brilliant way for him to redeem himself after giving away the earlier penalty, and it earned the Parisian side a place in the quarterfinals.
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Terry, Cahill, Ivanović; Fàbregas, Matić (Zouma 84’); Hazard, Oscar (Willian 46’), Ramires (Drogba 91’); Costa.
Goals: Cahill (81’), Hazard (pen. 96’).
Paris Saint-Germain: Sirigu; Maxwell, Luiz, Silva, Marquinhos; Matuidi (Lavezzi 83’), Verratti (Rabiot 83’), Motta; Pastore; Cavani, Ibrahimović.
Goals: Luiz (86’), Silva (114’).
Red cards: Ibrahimović (31’).
More from our team site
More from our team site
3 Things
1. Chelsea got lucky with the red card ...
There’s no doubt that Zlatan Ibrahimović‘s red card was a very contentious decision by the referee, and one that, in retrospect, was probably incorrect. As nasty as it looked in real time, the replays showed it to be a 50-50 collision, and if anyone looked guilty of raising their studs, it was Oscar. One can’t help but wonder if the aggressive protests of Chelsea played any part in influencing the referee’s decision.
2. ... and yet they were still second best throughout
Just as was the case in the first leg, Chelsea didn’t turn in the kind of performance you’d usually expect from a José Mourinho side at their measured best. Even when facing 10 men they didn’t really look confident in seeing the game out, and on balance probably deserved to lose the game before it went to extra time. They should’ve tried to kill the game off with more urgency when Ibrahimović was sent off early on, and they were eventually made to pay for their conservative approach.
3. PSG were just as good as their opponents
There’s no doubt that PSG are looking an ever stronger team. Over the course of the two legs they’ve looked more than a match for Chelsea, with their midfield in particular looking very well-balanced. Marco Verratti seems to be blossoming into a great midfield all-rounder, Blaise Matuidi is as industrious as anyone in the tournament, and their anchorman combination of David Luiz and Thiago Motta proved sufficient to keep Chelsea quiet. It has taken a few years, but they could now be ready to mount a serious Champions League challenge.
See More:
