PSG Need to Forget the Past If They Want to Progress Past Chelsea

In order to make sure they are in the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals, Paris Saint-Germain must forget the past and concentrate on the task at hand.

The French club may have a slight advantage going into Wednesday’s last-16 second leg with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but that could quickly mean nothing if they are not fully focused.

Back in 2014, during the team’s first meeting at this stage, PSG took a 3-1 lead to London, but without the leadership of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they were not able to push home that advantage. They dropped too deep and invited Chelsea to bombard their penalty area—eventually Jose Mourinho’s side scored twice and progressed on away goals.

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"I don't know if the previous two years' matches will have an impact on tomorrow,” Blanc said at Tuesday’s press conference, per UEFA.com.

He added:

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I think every game is different and has its own story. I know [the media] like to draw parallels between past meetings but I don't know how things are going to go tomorrow and neither do you. We know what we plan to do to qualify but Chelsea will do likewise.

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PSG’s game plan has to be to play on the front foot. Chelsea need to score just once, but an away goal will mean Guus Hiddink’s side would need to score at least three times to win the game outright. The last time that happened over 90 minutes to the Ligue 1 side was against Barcelona in last year’s Champions League.

Blanc continued:

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It could be more difficult than the last two seasons for a number of reasons. We have to be careful. We have an advantage which is important. At kick-off time we will be technically qualified, but we have to impose our style of play on Chelsea, which will be a big challenge. We didn't go through the first time against Chelsea but last year we qualified with ten men. We need to have the right mental approach and we should understand that, because we have been through once, we can do it again.

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The experience gained from last year will be invaluable, but it has to be remembered with caution. For all the plaudits Blanc gained from the second leg at Stamford Bridge, his team were still only minutes away from elimination…twice.

David Luiz’s late header with four minutes to go saved the game in 90 minutes, then Thiago Silva went from villain to hero—conceding a penalty in extra time, before scoring the winner eight minutes later.

The result of Wednesday’s game will play such a huge part in determining if this has been a successful campaign for the French club.

They have run away with the Ligue 1 title, which has allowed Blanc to rest players before this game—only once tasting defeat in the league. However, it has led to many questioning the quality of their opposition, and with that, the validity of PSG’s place at the top end of the European football ladder.

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Leading up to the game, Le Parisien (h/t ESPN FC) asked several experts how the French champions would cope in the Premier League. Gerard Houllier, who managed both PSG and Liverpool, claimed the Parisians would be good enough to win it:

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Yes. Because PSG have everything—speed, talent and above all a great squad.

Talent can make you win matches but only a collective allows you to win a league. If PSG were English, they would adapt without any problems to the local rhythm and intensity.

Would Thiago Silva, David Luiz or Marquinhos be afraid in the Premier League? Certainly not. They're really great players who are capable of playing anywhere.

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Wednesday will be very similar to a key Premier League fixture, and unlike the previous two seasons where they have shown progress in their performances, PSG are in a position where they cannot afford to lose.