PSG vs. Chelsea: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
After battling at the same stage of the Champions League for the last two seasons, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea meet again on Tuesday night for the first leg of their last-16 clash.
The Parc des Princes will play host for the fifth game between the two teams in two years, and this time, the French champions start as favourites to advance.
Chelsea won on away goals in 2014, with PSG squeezing through last season. With the away side's poor league form and uncertainty this campaign, Laurent Blanc’s team look stronger in every department.
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Although he recently signed a new two-year contract, Blanc is well aware that success in this competition is how the season will be measured, via UEFA.com:
"We all know our entire season will be judged on our Champions League campaign – for most media, not winning the league is not an option, and it would also look bad not to win both domestic cups. The Champions League is something else, because we only face clubs that have the same level or higher than us.
"
Date: Tuesday, February 16
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT / 2:45 p.m ET
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
TV Info: BT Sport, Fox Soccer (U.S.)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer2Go (U.S.)
Last Five Results
| Paris Saint-Germain | Chelsea |
| D PSG 1-1 Lille (Ligue 1) | W Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle United (Premier League) |
| W PSG 3-0 Lyon (Coupe de France) | D Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United (Premier League) |
| W Marseille 1-2 PSG (Ligue 1) | D Watford 0-0 Chelsea (Premier League) |
| W PSG 3-1 Lorient (Ligue 1) | W MK Dons 1-5 Chelsea (FA Cup) |
| W Saint-Etienne 0-2 PSG (Ligue 1) | W Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea (Premier League) |
Marco Verratti and Javier Pastore made their return to the PSG squad in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Lille. Blanc will hope that the Italian midfielder is able to start against the Blues, as the 23-year-old will make a huge difference to their play.
Serge Aurier will miss the game after being suspended until further notice, while Brazilian defender Marquinhos will likely deputise at right-back.
Pastore is the only other doubt, but he would have likely started on the bench, which could still be the case.
PSG Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Kevin Trapp; Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Maxwell; Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi; Angel Di Maria, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lucas Moura.
Suffering from a hamstring injury, club captain John Terry has not travelled to Paris for the game. With Kurt Zouma also out, there will be a few changes to Guus Hiddink’s back four. Cesar Azpilicueta will likely play at right-back, with Branislav Ivanovic moving to the centre of the defence.
Nemanja Matic will miss the game through suspension, giving John Obi Mikel a place in central midfield beside Cesc Fabregas. Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro are expected to play behind Diego Costa.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, Baba Rahman; John Obi Mikel, Cesc Fabregas; Pedro, Willian, Eden Hazard; Diego Costa.
Player to Watch
Verratti made his return to action on Saturday, coming on at half-time in the 0-0 draw with Lille. Adrien Rabiot has done a great job in his absence, but he still doesn’t have the same influence as the Italian.
At his best, Verratti controls the tempo, pings the ball around the pitch and is the most important part of PSG’s midfield.
The club showed their faith in the 23-year-old this week by extending his contract until 2020—great news before such a huge fixture.
Speaking ahead of the match, Verratti told PSG’s official website:
"We're heading into this match with a lot of confidence; actually, the conditions are ideal. We can concentrate on this match thanks to the big lead we have in the league. The tie is played over two matches. Tuesday will be very important, but not decisive. We're not thinking about what comes afterwards; we're focused on Chelsea. We've been preparing for this match for a long time. Chelsea will be out to save their season. We know it will be difficult, as they have some great players. My contract extension? I'm very happy! The club has shown its faith in me and in the whole team. We're all together in this project.
"
Key Battle
Despite all his success, all the goals he scored in Ligue 1 and his Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award for Chelsea, Eden Hazard has never quite turned it on against Paris Saint-Germain.
In five seasons with LOSC, Hazard only managed to find the net once against the capital club, scoring a penalty in a 2-1 victory. In his four Champions League games against the Parisian side, again, Hazard has only scored from the spot. On a whole, his performances have been lacking.
This term, Hazard has yet to score in the Premier League, and with only two assists to his name, it’s not been an enjoyable season for the Belgian. Chelsea fans and anyone who remembers his time in Ligue 1 will believe that he has to break out of his rut eventually.
On Tuesday, Hazard will be up against Marquinhos or Gregory van der Wiel. With PSG’s first-choice right-back suspended, this will be a huge chance for the winger to impose himself on the opposition. The Brazilian is an excellent defender but in no way a natural right-back.
With Angel Di Maria taking on Baba Rahman down the PSG right and Hazard playing down Chelsea’s left, the tie could be won and lost on that flank.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Home win: 1-1
Away win: 11-4
Draw: 12-5
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