Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea FC: 6 Things We Learned
Paris Saint-Germain took on Chelsea at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night in the Champions League quarter-finals. The first leg finished 3-1, giving the French side a two-goal advantage heading to London next week.
It was the first time the two nouveau riche clubs have met since 2004; back then it was the start of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea and a very different PSG side. The English club was too good for PSG and won 3-0 in Paris.
Laurent Blanc’s side were looking to made big strides toward becoming recognised as one of Europe’s elite.
Would the Ligue 1 leaders who were unbeaten in their last nine games, per WhoScored.com, be able to stamp their footprint on European football?
Let’s take a look at six things we learned from the game.
PSG Came out Meaning Business
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The French side came out the blocks, firing on all cylinders and looking to push Chelsea back and get on the front foot quickly. Jose Mourinho had set his team out to push up and press the French side whenever they had the ball, but PSG were a little quicker and more alert in the midfield.
After three minutes, the Parisian side had their breakthrough. After two failures to clear the ball, Chelsea were made to pay.
PSG moved the ball from the right flank to the left, Blaise Matuidi’s cross was poorly cleared by John Terry, and Ezequiel Lavezzi met the ball perfectly on the half volley. Petr Cech could do nothing to stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.
It was a reward for the French side's opening moments of positivity. Laurent Blanc will be disappointed they couldn’t keep it up for more of the first half, but Lavezzi’s quick strike gave the home side a great start.
The Hazard Threat Was Nullified by Blanc
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Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was targeted as PSG’s biggest threat on Wednesday night, and the French side dealt with the Belgian winger with only a couple of moments of worry.
There were worries that right-back Christophe Jallet wouldn’t be able to deal with the advances of the former Lille forward.
Ability-wise, the matchup of Hazard against Jallet should have favoured the Chelsea player, but Blanc got his tactics right on the night.
Wary of the Hazard threat, the PSG coach made sure that Jallet was protected by Edinson Cavani whenever Hazard got the ball in an attacking area.
According to WhoScored.com, Hazard touched the ball as much as anyone in the Chelsea front line, but PSG limited the talented 23-year-old to only half-chances. He may have levelled the score from the penalty spot, but his only other moment of note was a superb volley that hit the post.
PSG Are Still Lacking Experience at This Level
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Although they started off the game on the front foot and opened the scoring after just three minutes, the French side let Chelsea back in to the game by reverting to the same problems that can sometimes trouble them in Ligue 1 this season.
Too often after taking lead, PSG take their foot off the gas and let their opposition back into the game. PSG fans have seen it too many times this season, and they would have hoped that such a big occasion would have staved off bad habits.
Unfortunately, the Parisians couldn’t resist falling into their old ways. After taking the lead, they dropped far too deep and let Chelsea back into the match. Marco Verratti was the biggest culprit of dwelling on the ball far too much, and it nearly cost them dearly.
Laurent Blanc’s half-time team talk seemed to do wonders for the home side, and they came out in the second half much improved. Pushing forward and not sitting deep in their own half, it was the side of PSG that Ligue 1 fans want to see, and it is the PSG that will need to be more prevalent if they want to lift the Champions League trophy this season.
Lavezzi Shows That He Is Good Enough for PSG
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Ezequiel Lavezzi’s third-minute strike was his ninth goal in all competitions and his sixth since February. His time in Paris has been far from convincing since his €26.5 million move from Napoli, but now he is looking every part the player that tempted Carlo Ancelotti to bring him from Serie A.
Lavezzi’s performance on Wednesday night was critical to PSG’s 3-1 victory. He threatened down the channels with his direct style and his blistering pace. His set pieces were deadly and helped reclaim the lead for the home side. His right-foot cross came off David Luiz and spilled into the net.
With five minutes to go, Laurent Blanc gave Lavezzi his crowning moment. Bringing on fellow Argentine midfielder Javier Pastore gave "El Pocho" the standing ovation he deserved. It was one of his better PSG performances and one that could be crucial in their quest to become European champions.
Ramires Loss Could Be Critical for Chelsea’s Chances
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The 12th-minute yellow card for Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Ramires could be crucial in the way the second leg plays out next week.
It means that the former Benfica midfielder will miss the match at Stamford Bridge, leaving Jose Mourinho in an interesting position and with a big decision to make next week.
During the second half, the PSG midfield was in control of the match, but they showed in the first half that they are far from perfect. Chelsea will miss the industry, pace and strength of Ramires, and Mourinho is struggling to find players to replace him.
Wednesday's substitute Frank Lampard could start next week, but that will not add much to the pace of the side and takes away from the defensive end. The other option from the bench on Wednesday would be John Obi Mikel, but with Chelsea needing to score twice, playing him instantly would take away from Chelsea’s attacking options.
The loss of Ramires could be a huge factor next week.
PSG Begin to Prove They Are More Than a One-Man Team
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It’s safe to say that Wednesday was not a night to remember for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The big Swedish striker was a huge part of the game’s build-up, but he failed to perform on the big stage.
There were a few glimpses, and the superb pass down the wing for Ezequiel Lavezzi was possibly the highlight in a quiet night. He gave the ball away more often than not; his sloppy play caused the turnover that led to Chelsea’s equaliser.
Ibrahimovic’s inability to hold the ball up brought more pressure on the midfield and gave Chelsea the chance to get back into the game. After 67 minutes, he pulled up with a muscle problem and had to be replaced.
PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi revealed after the game that the striker could be out for a couple of weeks and is likely to miss the second leg in London. This means that PSG will have to show that they are more than just Zlatan.
Edinson Cavani will get his chance to play centrally—something that he has craved all season—and Brazilian Lucas Moura will also be able to show that he can make a difference at this level.
The league is all but won, so the implications on their domestic form will be of little worry. It is how they play without Ibrahimovic at Chelsea that is going to be a huge factor. If they can beat Chelsea in London without him, the side's confidence will skyrocket.
The momentum from such a victory could be very difficult to stop.
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