PSG vs. Chelsea: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Substitute Edinson Cavani scored a second-half winner as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Chelsea 2-1 on Tuesday in the first leg of the two teams' UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie.
PSG dominated long spells of the match but will only take a slender lead into the second leg at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge. The hosts went ahead in the 39th minute as a Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick deflected past Thibaut Courtois, but the Blues pulled level on the stroke of halftime via a rare goal from John Obi Mikel.
Cavani then settled the first leg four minutes after entering the match as a substitute, beating Courtois from a tight angle on the right following a chipped pass from Angel Di Maria.
The second leg is scheduled for March 9 in London.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Edinson Cavani
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The current season hasn't always been a pleasant one for PSG forward Edinson Cavani, but the Uruguayan scored a potentially crucial goal for his side on Tuesday night and gave himself a timely boost in the process.
Criticized by club officials for going on holiday early (h/t Samuel Petrequin of the Associated Press), Cavani has been unable to hide his frustration at being played on the wing, rather than through the middle.
"Our system does not allow Cavani to show his qualities at 100 percent, but his statistics over the past 2 1/2 years have been very good," said manager Laurent Blanc, per AP. "He would like us to play differently but I also need to keep the squad and my team balanced."
Both club and player will be pleased with Cavani's contribution on this night. In the 78th minute, just four minutes after entering the game as a substitute, the Uruguayan netted the winner with a lovely strike. Holding his run perfectly, Cavani ran on to Angel Di Maria's chipped pass and beat Thibaut Courtois from a tight angle on the right.
The goal turned out to be the winner, giving PSG a valuable lead heading into the second leg. For Cavani individually, it showcased his superb movement and finishing capabilities.
Loser: John Obi Mikel
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John Obi Mikel conceded the free kick that resulted in PSG's first goal, tripping up Lucas Moura as he dribbled toward Chelsea's box. Mikel received a yellow card for the foul.
Moments later, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's free kick deflected off Mikel and into the net past Thibaut Courtois. As he leapt, Mikel turned his body away from the ball instead of blocking it head on.
Two mistakes led to one goal for PSG. After the first leg, PSG hold a one-goal lead in the tie.
Winner: John Obi Mikel
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Mikel made amends for his mistakes in short order, and so he's also a winner here.
In the 45th minute, with the last kick of the first half, the Nigerian fired in the equaliser from close range following a Willian corner. Diego Costa created the chance by flicking the corner on, and Mikel finished powerfully past Kevin Trapp after controlling the ball with his thigh.
After contributing negatively at one end of the pitch, Mikel helped drag his side right back into the match. His strike gave Chelsea an away goal, which could prove decisive.
Why? Because in each of the last two seasons, PSG and Chelsea have met in the Champions League knockout stage, and both ties have been decided on away goals.
Winner: Kevin Trapp
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Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp made two very good saves for PSG, with one coming either side of halftime.
In the 23rd minute, the 25-year-old tipped Diego Costa's close-range header on to the bar. Trapp had little time to react, but his instinctive save kept the match scoreless.
He made another strong stop in the 49th minute, coming off his line to deny Costa again after the Spain international ran clear on Chelsea's left. At that point, the match was level at 1-1 and a goal would have given the visitors a distinct advantage in the tie with two away goals.
Winner (Mostly): Thibaut Courtois
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Thibaut Courtois will be unhappy with himself for the manner in which he conceded PSG's second goal. Overall, however, the Belgian had a big night in goal for Chelsea.
In the third minute, PSG's Marco Verratti hit a dipping, swerving shot on target from distance, and Courtois did well to parry the ball away to Gary Cahill, who cleared the box. Early in the second half, the Belgian goalkeeper tipped Angel Di Maria's fierce drive over the bar.
Another save followed in the 53rd minute, when Courtois pushed away Zlatan Ibrahimovic's low shot from the right. Eight minutes later, the Chelsea man kept out Lucas' venomous shot after the Brazilian had played a neat one-two with Ibrahimovic.
Finally, in the 90th minute, Courtois made himself big to stop Ibrahimovic's attempted volley from close range.
While it's probably true that Courtois could have done better with Cavani's goal in the 78th minute, all those saves kept Chelsea in the tie. Now the Blues will head to Stamford Bridge knowing they only need a 1-0 win to advance.
"We are more confident at home; we know what we need to do," said defender Gary Cahill, per UEFA.com. "We knew how tough it was to come here and get a result. The way the tie is poised we have done it before at home."
