With the first leg finishing 1-1, this tie is really nicely poised. Mourinho has played his mind games in the build-up but will they have much of an impact? Can Ibrahimovic step up to the plate and deliver?
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Good evening everyone. Welcome to our coverage of what promises to be a really tasty Champions League encounter between a couple of flash foreigners based in London and a couple of flash foreigners based in Paris.
Let’s get to the lineups, shall we? Here’s what Mourinho has gone for – as expected, really. Cahill is preferred to Zouma in the centre of defence while Ramires is selected ahead of Willian.
And here’s PSG’s lineup. Javier Pastore gets the nod over Lavezzi, Marquinhos comes in at right-back as Van der Wiel drops to the bench and Thiago Motta patrols the centre of midfield with David Luiz in his more familiar role of centre-back.
Also, shameless plug here but in tonight’s other clash, Bayern take on Shakhtar in Munich. The Ukrainians frustrated Guardiola’s team in the first leg and have played better away from home in this season’s tournament. I’ve written about how the conflict in their homeland has affected them (homeless but not spiritless) here, if you’re that way inclined.
Pastore has been quite infuriating since joining PSG from Palermo in 2011. But he’s never lost his skills, as he proved in the warm-up earlier.
I thought PSG were over and out when Branislav Ivanovic scored the opener in Paris all those weeks ago. But, to my surprise, they rallied and really should’ve won. Still, hard not to think a Mourinho side won’t grind out a result here.
Perhaps, given Cavani’s influence last time out, that it may be another player to grab the PSG headlines tonight?
Good shout here from Michael Cox.
How about this? Wonder if they sent a copy to Souleymane S – the victim of Chelsea’s racist fans? And, if so, I wonder if he sent it back?
He spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live earlier today and revealed he’s seeing a psychiatrist as a result of the infamous incident in a Paris subway station last month.
Teams are out on the pitch! PSG bring some solid form into this but Chelsea have been equally formidable & so dominant domestically.
Have a soft spot for Verratti who I first watched years ago. Many talk about his tenacity and combative nature. But he’s also a clever, intelligent midfielder.
AND WE’RE OFF!
CLOSE! Verratti brilliantly into Cavani in the area and just as the attacker pulls the trigger, there’s a last-ditch block from a Chelsea player. Nothing comes from the corner that follows. Great start from PSG.
Very, very open in the opening few minutes. PSG are moving it quickly and went close when they fizzed in a dangerous cross from the right moments ago. At the other end, Hazard already looks in the mood.
Brief lull here after Costa goes down easily and hobbles off for some treatment before immediately returning to the action.
Bayern have taken an early lead against Shakhtar, by the way. Thomas Muller from the penalty spot. Kucher has also been sent-off so the Ukrainians are in big trouble. Dare I say the game has been ruined inside the first few minutes.
Marquinhos has been involved a few times already & Azpilicueta may need a bit of support if this progresses. Hazard, as we saw last season, can be a little slow at getting back.
Hazard the latest Chelsea player to go down easily. Just wondering if this is a ploy, given Mourinho’s pre-match guff.
The game stops because Luiz is in a heap on the ground with no-one around him. As he gingerly gets to his feet, he stares across at the linesman & the camera instantly goes on Costa who certainly looks guilty of something. No replays yet but we restart soon after with Luiz refusing Costa’s hand-shake. This is good!
Well. Have Chelsea got away with this? Verratti chases Pastore’s dinked ball over the top and it’s too clever for Ramires who’s caught on the wrong side. There’s a coming together and the Italian hits the deck and it all looks rather clumsy from the Chelsea man. Still, the referee waves away Verratti’s protests. Strange start from the hosts here. PSG look good in possession & Pastore is finding room in a free role.
Great hunger from Azpilicueta who tries to burn down the left wing. But it’s Pastore who tracks him all the way and defends excellently. Never thought I’d say that.
Nice variation here from PSG as they clip a long pass right into Ibrahimovic on the edge of the area. Instead of taking it down though, he tries to flick a lay-off into a supporting team-mate and the chance fades away. Should’ve brought it down himself and flashed a shot away.
Blanc’s use of Pastore is really interesting. He dropped into deep midfield just a moment ago and injected some pace right through the middle of the pitch before stabbing a wayward pass forward. His role seems to be confusing Chelsea a little bit…
I just cursed him, didn’t I? Matuidi brilliantly intercepts, feeds Ibra and PSG break at pace. It’s moved to Pastore on the right and Matuidi continues the run right through the middle. The pass needs to be quick to get Matuidi through but Pastore dwells too long and misplaces the final ball. That was a decent chance.
Take whatever you want from this.
Hazard goes down again as Chelsea break and the referee waves at him to get up. Luiz gestures for the Belgian to go in the book. Luiz REALLY doesn’t like Chelsea.
RED CARD! Ibrahimovic!
That’s a crazy decision! Dear me. Ibrahimovic goes in on Oscar and the Chelsea players go crazy. Everyone is expecting the replay to show a studs-up, wild tackle. But the striker actually directs his feet towards the pitch as he makes contact with the Brazilian, controlling his challenge. No studs are shown. And that’s the entire game changed.
I wonder what Mourinho will say about the reaction of his players to the Ibrahimovic tackle?
There’s been a rake of yellow cards in the last few minutes. Thiago Motta, Oscar and now Matuidi have all gone in the book. Mr. Kuipers has lost control of this, to be honest. Needs to get it back very quickly. Costa has tangled with Luiz again and the Spaniard has dropped to the ground. It’s a nice subplot, in fairness.
Kuipers is all over the place. Looks like a blatant penalty for Chelsea as Costa dribbles around half the PSG team before being swiped by Cavani in the area. The referee is guessing as he tells the players to play on.
Luckily for the official, half-time is only a few moments away. He’s had a nightmare so far.
Dangerous free-kick from Oscar that he whips to the far stick. There are three Chelsea players close to it and it ricochets off one and directs back across goal. PSG scramble clear and that was a let-off.
AND THAT’S HALF-TIME!
Well, Kuipers lost all control of that game as soon as he sent off Ibrahimovic. Yellow cards followed for three players and he denied Chelsea what appeared a certain penalty later in the half.
Here’s the Ibra challenge.
One good thing for PSG here is that Chelsea look well up for a fight too. Oscar is on a yellow and Costa is being wound up expertly by Luiz. This is still delicately poised and if it’s a war of attrition Chelsea want, they’ll get it.
Someone in the comments section has described me as “another anti-Chelsea ‘writer’ on The Score”. I’ve been called a lot of things but that’s a first. Feels kinda nice.
Almost set to get back underway here…
AND WE’RE BACK UNDERWAY!
SUBSTITUTION! Willian (on) – Oscar (off)
As mentioned, Oscar was on thin ice having already been booked. Smart move by Mourinho to bring in the Brazilian.
CLOSE! Hazard is looking a bit tender after a shipping a heavy challenge. From the free-kick, Willian bends it towards Sirigu’s near post, surprising the keeper. The Italian does well to get across and push it clear.
Ramires is the latest player to get a booking and a few players are walking the tight-rope here…
CLOSE! Maxwell flashes in a shot towards the near post and it fizzes wide thanks to a deflection. A bit of pressure ensues from the corner but it ultimately leads to nothing.
Chelsea’s use of the extra man sees Ivanovic pushing forward from right-back – something he certainly wasn’t doing in the opening period.
VERY CLOSE! How has this stayed out? My goodness. A sublime ball is slipped through a very flat Chelsea defence and Cavani is in. He races towards goal, takes it around Courtois and, on his left boot, rifles it towards the net. It kisses the inside of the post, runs across the goal line and wide of the far upright. Incredible.
Just that touch as Cavani evades Courtois… It’s a little behind him and he needs to readjust his feet…Little details.
This is odd from Chelsea. They’re hardly pushing & despite everything being against PSG, they’re looking the most likely to score here. They’re keeping the ball well and engineering some decent build-ups.
Cheap free-kick for Chelsea here. Kuipers must be over the moon that he’s had no medium/difficult decisions to make so far in this half…Still plenty of time though.
CLOSE! Pastore pops up in the area and flashes a shot at goal that Courtois pushes away. Cavani tries to pick up the rebound but Chelsea do well to crowd around him and when he feeds Pastore again, the effort on goal is wild.
Costa absolutely does Thiago Silva with a wild tackle. A ball of frustration and he’s just kicked out at the centre back. Luiz comes over, they square up and Luiz reacts as if he’s been headbutted. Costa laughs it off but both players go in the book. That’s absolutely insane stuff from Costa!
And now Verratti finally gets a yellow card after a silly foul on Hazard. Surely another sending-off before this is done? There has to be. Who’s your money on?
Over on RTE, George Hamilton says ‘If this was a piece of music, it would be described as staccato’. I’d have gone with grunge/punk.
By the way, when Verratti got booked moments ago. John Terry raced from centre-back to push the midfielder. Leading by example is JT.
CLOSE! That could’ve been it! Ramires is slipped in behind Matuidi and the shot is aimed at Sirigu’s near-post but the keeper makes a great save to beat it to safety.
GOAL! Cahill!
And there’s the breakthrough. We mentioned set-pieces early on and when the corner falls to Costa, he mis-kicks but it sits up perfectly for Cahill and he thumps it to the net with Sirigu rooted to the spot.
SUBSTITUTIONS! Rabiot & Lavezzi (on) – Matuidi & Verratti (off) and Zouma (on) – Matic (off)
A rake of changes as Chelsea try to hang on here.
GOAL! Luiz!
Incredible! PSG forced a corner after Pastore chipped in dangerously and Courtois tipped over. From the set-piece, Lavezzi (just on) whips it in and Luiz (!!) sends a bullet header to the net. Magnificent finish. It had to be, didn’t it?
Vital touch by Thiago Silva as a free-kick is floated into the danger area. There will be 3 minutes of injury time, by the way.
Costa is a fine player but surely one of the most immature. He runs into Marquinhos, claims a free-kick, doesn’t get it, screams intensely at the referee and then pushes the full-back over while still remonstrating.
AND THAT’S FULL-TIME!
Extra-time in London. Praise for the 10 men of PSG but a very passive performance by Chelsea in the second-half. When they went in front, it seemed set for them to suffocate the game and see it out. But credit to Luiz – eh? He’s loved this right from the kick-off and given 100%. If this goes to penalties, he’ll definitely want to take one!
SUBSTITUTION! Drogba (on) – Ramires (off)
Didier Drogba, who is 37 today, comes on for Ramires and that’s the final change for Chelsea.
EXTRA-TIME IS UNDERWAY!
By the way, Drogba is leading the line with Costa being pushed wide. On RTE, Ray Houghton suggests it’s to keep him out of trouble. I think Costa will find trouble anywhere on the pitch, to be honest!
I can confirm this did happen before extra-time started!
GOAL! Hazard (penalty)
Another controversial decision as Drogba’s flick-on stays up in the air and Thiago Silva jumps to challenge. His hand is raised and the referee points to the spot pretty quickly. On the replay, it’s certainly not conclusive whether or not he’s made contact with his hand.
This does change one thing. The game won’t go to a shootout. Should PSG score, they’ll go through.
CLOSE! Luiz lines up a free-kick from miles out and drives it towards goal. Courtois is forced to tip it over and it was an impressive hit.
HALF-TIME! Costa has been in a bit of a frenzy again & someone needs to calm him down. Luckily, the interval comes along to give him a breather.
WE’VE RESTARTED HERE!
Chelsea, rather inevitably, have just all filtered back into a seemingly impenetrable defensive unit. Can PSG engineer one more chance?
That’s two awful deliveries from Lavezzi in extra-time and the latest almost costs PSG dearly as Chelsea break quickly with Willian. He works it to Costa but the shot is wild.
PSG still look to find a way through and Cavani tries his luck from a difficult angle only to be blocked. Had Marquinhos charging up the right but elected to take it on himself.
PSG corner…
GOAL! Thiago Silva!
Incredible! That’s incredible! Firstly, Thiago Silva forces a wonder-save from Courtois as he sends his header low to the bottom corner. From the following set-piece, he pulls to the far post and sends the looping header to the corner. What drama!
Here’s Thiago Silva’s goal. As it stands, PSG are going through and Chelsea are out.
The camera just went on Roman Abramovich in the director’s box. He doesn’t look too happy. 20 seconds left here.
AND THAT’S FULL-TIME! PSG ARE THROUGH TO THE QUARTER-FINALS!
What a display from the French side. With 10 men, to have the energy, the desire, the character to push so hard for so long. In fact, it’s very out of character. A team known for their expensive individuals but not their togetherness and unity. They went some way to rubbishing that in the first leg and they’ve more than done it tonight.
For Mourinho, I’m predicting that he’ll say Luiz should’ve walked for an elbow on Costa and shouldn’t have been on the pitch for the goal he scored. He’ll talk of the fouls from PSG, particularly Verratti. And will probably hint at a UEFA conspiracy, as he did years ago.
Decent point by Ginola here. Have to agree with him, though. But keeping in PSG style, they’ll no doubt bomb out in the last eight.
Over on RTE, John Giles has called Mourinho ‘evil’ while Eamon Dunphy refers to Mourinho’s presence as ‘a cancer’ and ‘a cowardly bully’. Very strong stuff. Agree/disagree?
Before signing off, it’s important to remember that this is about PSG tonight, not Chelsea. Mourinho will, no doubt, say something controversial in the aftermath to deflect attention but the narrative should be focused on Laurent Blanc and how good his side were tonight.
Thanks for staying with us tonight. What a thrilling game. Yes, cynical but a great Cup tie. Excitement, late drama and an edge. Hope you enjoyed it and there’ll be plenty more reaction on the site shortly.
