Chelsea will have a tall task ahead of them in Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the Champions League, but it will also be a measuring stick for the Blues as they look to contend in Europe. The good news for Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior, there may not be a team more well-equipped for the job than they are at pulling off this kind of upset. PSG have struggled with injuries on and off during the season, and not having Fabian Ruiz in midfield will be a big blow when he’s critical to everything that they do.
How to watch PSG vs. Chelsea odds
- Date: Wednesday, March 11 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Parc des Princes — Paris, France
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: PSG -110; Draw +280; Chelsea +270
Chelsea may be without Estevao, who has a hamstring injury, but most of this squad appeared in Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup triumph over the Parisians, beating the favorites for the trophy. Fatigue may have played a role in Chelsea’s triumph during the summer, but with how Luis Enrique’s side have struggled for balance at times this season, Chelsea are just the team who can take advantage of that to advance further in the Champions League.
Joao Pedro’s finishing will be key as with his joining during the Club World Cup from Brighton, the Blues finally have a lethal number nine for the first time since Diego Costa roamed Stamford Bridge, and with their own midfield, they can go toe to toe with PSG’s press. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are comfortable interchanging, while Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer can progress the ball in different ways, and if Andrey Santos is included in the XI, he has grown into his own as well to be up to the task.
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Without red cards to Monaco, PSG may not have even made it to this stage, as defensively they’ve struggled against teams who aren’t in the bottom half of Ligue 1, which is where Rosenior will feel confident in his side’s ability to find the back of the net. Chelsea’s form may have been mixed, only winning two of their last five league matches, but with two wins in a row in all competitions, scoring eight goals and only allowing three, they could be peaking at the right time.
In all competitions, Pedro has 18 goals and six assists to pace Chelsea, but one place where they have struggled is when it comes to their keeper position, as there’s no clear determination on who will start between Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, which Rosenior acknowledges.
‘So we’ll make that decision on the goalkeeper position as we would in terms of the number nine, ten or seven. I’ve said before, the goalkeeper position is no different to an outfield position,” Rosenior said about the decision.”I’ll pick what I think is the right choice for each game and you’ll see what decision I make tomorrow when the team sheet comes out.’
Both have had their moments of brilliance for Chelsea this season and each has also had scenarios where they’ve struggled but after Tottenham’s horror show on Tuesday, it’s not a decision that should be taken lightly.
