Can PSG go all the way in Europe?
Bar a spell in the first half, it’s fair to say Chelsea were second best for much of the encounter at Stamford Bridge. PSG controlled proceedings with relative ease despite the soon-to-be-crowned French champions not playing at their best and with key players unavailable. Marco Verratti missed out entirely through injury, and while that would have boosted morale for the home side prior to kick off, his replacement performed superbly in the middle of the park.
Adrien Rabiot may have appeared shaky in the opening exchanges, but his goal settled his - and PSG’s - nerves. Granted, a wayward pass for Thiago Motta ultimately culminated in Diego Costa’s first half equaliser, but Rabiot put in a commendable shift in the encounter, gaining a WhoScored rating of 8.13. It goes to show the strength in depth in Blanc’s squad, particularly with Serge Aurier still absent following an internal suspension. All in all, PSG dominated the tie with 60% possession, a hugely impressive return in a European match away from home.
Blanc was still able to call on Javier Pastore, Edinson Cavani and Gregory van der Wiel as the game neared its climax, while Layvin Kurzawa and Benjamin Stambouli were unused subs at Stamford Bridge. Their next opponent in the Champions League will likely provide a sterner examination than this transitional Chelsea side, but PSG gave a fantastic account of themselves once more and have every right to be confident of European success.
Di Maria and Lucas' attacking influence
In Blanc’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, Angel Di Maria and Lucas Moura - as expected - flanked Zlatan Ibrahimovic, though they were not deployed as wingers in the conventional sense. Starting on the right and left flank respectively, Di Maria and Lucas were granted the attacking freedom to exploit the space in the attacking third as and when Ibrahimovic dropped deep. When one came inside, the other hogged the touchline, dragging the Chelsea defence across the backline. With Cesc Fabregas and John Obi Mikel occupying themselves with Ibrahimovic, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic were at a loss as to how to counter the duos’ respective threat.
Indeed, this also presented Ibrahimovic with ample chances to make surging runs into the box, with Di Maria and Lucas more often than not guaranteed a target to find in the Chelsea penalty area. This was indeed the case for Ibrahimovic’s first and PSG’s second. Having swapped wings on numerous occasions over the duration of the encounter, Di Maria was found excellently by Motta on the left to whip across for Ibrahimovic to wrap up the tie from close range.
Blanc has at his disposal two wingers more than capable of adhering to his demands in his 4-3-3 system. Both Di Maria and Lucas are difficult to stop when on song, as was often the case in London at Stamford Bridge. Whether it was breaking down the flank or cutting inside to offer another goalscoring threat depending on which wing they were operating on, Chelsea struggled to contain the pair. Three key passes and one assist contributed to Di Maria’s WhoScored rating of 8.48, with the Argentine having 118 touches of the ball, a noteworthy return for a player in his position. Lucas didn’t fare much worse, gaining an 8.03, his five successful dribbles contributing to that return. Similar performances in the latter stages of the competition will only increase PSG’s chances of European glory this term.
Ibrahimovic's timely reminder of his talent
Love him or loathe him, it’s difficult to deny that Ibrahimovic remains one of the top talents in Europe. At 34 years of age, there may not be too much longer for the Swede to strut his stuff on the pitch, but there is no denying his quality. Having often struggled against English opposition, Ibrahimovic churned out a masterful showing in London, though in the opening exchanges, he was regularly allowed the chance to showcase his ability.
The Chelsea players would often step off Ibrahimovic, permitting him to turn on the ball and face the Blues' goal. While at times in the midfield third and with the Chelsea defence in no immediate danger, the striker was able to get his head up and increase the pressure on the home side. Chelsea only really came back into the tie when they started to press high and hassle PSG, with Ibrahimovic one who for a period struggled. Yet, despite appearing in the ascendency, the hosts backed off the PSG talisman as the encounter wore on, thus allowing him to exert his influence in the midfield and attacking third once more.
They were made to pay for their inability to keep Ibrahimovic in check, with the frontman providing the assist for Rabiot before getting on the scoresheet to secure PSG’s spot in the next round of the Champions League. No player had more shots (4), while two key passes, two dribbles and one tackle contributed to his WhoScored man of the match award, having garnered a rating of 8.49. However, the result could well have been so different for both teams had Chelsea pressured Ibrahimovic from the outset.
Fabregas' struggles in the midfield third
The turn of the year seemed to have woken Cesc Fabregas from his slumber. The Spaniard, like so many of the current Chelsea squad, ended 2015 on a low, but has recently looked back to his game-controlling best. The midfielder had been pulling the strings in the middle of the park, barking orders to teammates and generally commanding the tempo of games. Against PSG, though, the 28-year-old appeared to regress back to his 2015 type somewhate. Despite having more touches (93) than any other Chelsea player, Fabregas struggled against PSG.
A WhoScored rating of just 6.60 was among the lowest of every starter in the Champions League last-16 tie, with Fabregas failing to adjust his game to match the pace of the encounter. With composure a necessity against any team at this stage of the competition, the former Barcelona man failed to control proceedings for his side, that in turn amping up the pressure on his defence. A 77.5% pas success, the worst of every outfielder, was a tremendously poor return for a player of Fabregas’ calibre, with the Spaniard more culpable than any of needlessly sacrificing possession.
Despite making more tackles (6) than any other player, this was more often than not Fabregas clearing up for his wastefulness in possession. On a night that Chelsea needed leaders to overturn the one-goal deficit, Fabregas failed to rise to the occasion, much to the detriment of the Blues.
Did Hiddink make a mistake starting Kenedy and not Baba?
Guus Hiddink threw a curve ball prior to kick off when it was revealed Kenedy would start at left-back in place of Baba Rahman. The Ghanian enjoyed a hugely impressive outing in the first leg defeat in Paris and one expected him to feature from the off once more having kept Di Maria relatively in check in the Parc des Princes. It was, therefore, a shock to see Kenedy start at left-back, even if Baba has endured a less impressive run of form of late.
The Brazilian perhaps offers a greater attacking threat than Baba, though it was a risky move from Hiddink. With Eden Hazard deployed ahead of him on the flank and the Belgian offering little in the way of defensive protection, Chelsea’s left side was often left exposed, particularly with Kenedy pressing forward when it was required of him. Yet, Kenedy put in a solid defensive showing making five tackles and four interceptions to not only limit PSG, but allow for Chelsea to instigate attacks.
A WhoScored rating of 7.32 was the best of all of Chelsea’s defenders and the Blues’ fourth highest on the night in what was a mature showing from the youngster. With he and Baba competing for a starting spot, Chelsea have at their disposal two hungry, young left-backs and players that have proven capable of churning out a fine showing when the opportunity calls for it. While Chelsea faltered on the night, Hiddink made the right call in starting Kenedy.
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