By Cameron Russell
Hello and welcome wherever you are in the world to coverage of Chelsea vs PSG in the second leg of the Champions League from Stamford Bridge.
The hosts have it all to do as they come in trailing PSG 3-1 on aggregate. A late goal from Javier Pastore put PSG in command, and they’ll be feeling confident they can progress to the semi-finals coming to London with a two goal cushion.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action. VIDEO will be available as soon as the final whistle goes.
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LIVE COMMENTARY… Chelsea (3) 2 – 0 (3) PSG
FULLTIME: Chelsea have done it! The PSG players hit the turf in disappointment as the Blues players hug and celebrate with the fans. Highlights up now.
93 min: Cech pushes a late effort around the post. A top save in a clutch moment!
90 min: Into the last four minutes of stoppage time...
87 min: GOOOOOOAL! CHELSEA HAVE DONE IT! Demba Ba comes through in the clutch to tap in a goal mouth scramble. Chelsea are through on away goals as it stands!
84 min: Things are getting desperate at the Bridge. Just five minutes of game time plus stoppage time left. Chelsea have pitched a tent in the PSG half but haven't created a chance.
80 min: Last roll of the dice for Chelsea. On comes Torres for Oscar.
76 min: Cavani again gets in behind the Chelsea back four. He lifts his effort over the bar and Chelsea can breath again. That would have killed it off, and he really should have scored!
71 min: Cavani is put through one-on-one but he shanks his effort high and wide. Chelsea left very open at the back with everyone piling forward.
67 min: Chelsea bring off Lampard for Ba. He makes an immediate impact setting up a Schurrle chance which is blocked away.
64 min: The crowd sparks up as Chelsea win a corner. PSG will be down a defender as Maxwell is being treated for blood. Lampard whips it in and Sirigu punches it clear.
61 min: A few concerned faces around the Bridge. How crucial is that last minute goal in the first leg looking?
56 min: Cech reacts smartly to a curling PSG free-kick to turn it around the post. First time he has really been tested. Yeesh, a lot of chances from free-kicks tonight!
53 min: OFF THE BAR AGAIN! Oscar hits a free-kick from the edge of the box but sees his effort come back off the bar with Sirigu left beaten at full strech.
50 min: CLOSE! Chelsea work the ball around the box before Willian cuts it back for Schurrle who smacks a shot off the bar! Chelsea inches away from taking the lead in this one.
Second half, 46 min: PSG get us back underway.
HALFTIME: Chelsea head to the sheds with their heads held high. They got the first half goal they needed and will have it all to play for in the second half.
40 min: A bit of smarts from Luiz gets Cavani booked. Chelsea had a free-kick in their own half, and Luiz takes it quickly after Cavani stands right over the ball trying to slow things down. Stupid way to get booked, and now Cavani will miss the next leg!
38 min: Thiago Silva has hit the deck clutching his ankle after a 50-50 challenge from Samuel Eto'o. Play has been stopped and the stretcher has come out, but I have a feeling he will play on. Looked a bit milked...
37 min: Scuffed! A free-kick is whipped into the box by Lampard and it pings around before falling to Gary Cahill who snatches at the chance and scuffs it wide. Composure was lacking from the defender.
31 min: GOOOOOOAL! CHELSEA SCORE! A long throw from Ivanovic is flicked on by Luiz and Schurrle is first on the scene to whack it into the bottom corner. GAME ON!
27 min: CLOSE! Lampard attempts to knock in a free-kick but it deflects off the wall and Sirigu makes up a lot of ground to tip it around the post. It was one of those moments the fans behind the goal were halfway to celebrating.
23 min: Lucas Moura again causes problems for Chelsea. He cuts infield and Willian slides in bringing him to the turf on the edge of the area. He's booked for the challenge, but it could be worse as PSG lines up a free-kick with Alex standing over the ball...but it's a disappointment as Cavani gets it all wrong smacked a low shot into the wall.
21 min: Cheers coming from the away fans every time PSG complete a pass. Their side only has to hold on for another 70 minutes!
18 min: Early change for Chelsea as Eden Hazard heads to the bench. Andre Schurrle comes on in his place. Didn't see where he picked up the knock, but disappointing to see.
13 min: A pass back to Sirigu causes a hairy moment when Eto'o closes down the keeper on the edge of the box. He's fouled him in the process, but take that as a warning. I'm not a fan of keepers mucking around with the ball, just get rid of it!
10 min: Oscar teases a few PSG defenders down the flank. His cut-back ball finds Eto'o, but the strikers shot is deflected for a corner. Nothing comes off it.
8 min: If you had under ten minutes on "first Jose Mourinho finger wave of the night", then you are a winner. Frank Lampard clatters into Lucas Moura giving away a free-kick on halfway and the Chelsea manager isn't impressed.
6 min: First deadball chance will fall to Chelsea. Frank Lampard lines up a free-kick on the edge of the box, but his cross is whipped in low and hard and is dealt with by PSG.
KICKOFF: PSG starting stronger of the two playing all the football down Chelsea's patch in the first few minutes. No chances, but you can imagine the visitors will spend most of the night frustrating Chelsea like this camping in their half.
6:43am - And that song is followed by the Liquidator. Chelsea fans really up for this one, and they come in as faves with the bookies. However, PSG remain heavy faves to progress.
6:42am - Both teams are out on the field as the Champions League anthem blasts around the ground. Got to be one of the most spine-tingling songs in sports!
6:37am - You've got to imagine that most of England will be behind Chelsea in this one. Well, at least Liverpool and Man City fans will be. With a tight finish coming up in the title race they'll be hoping Chelsea keeps one eye on European football.
6:30am - Both teams are out on the field warming up and it looks like we'll have clear skies for tonight's match. Lets see how PSG comes out with a two goal lead, at least Chelsea won't have to deal with Ibrahimovic who is out with a hamstring injury. Don't forget that Chelsea managed to overturn a 1-3 deficit just two years ago when they beat Napoli 4-1 in the second leg.
We will start commentary from around 6:30am (NZT). In the meantime check out the video with highlights of the first leg in Paris.
Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Luiz, Lampard; Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Eto'o. Subs: Cole, Torres, Mikel, Schurrle, Ba, Schwarez, Kalas
Paris Saint Germain: Sirigu; Jallet, Alex, Silva, Maxwell; Verratti, Motta, Matuidi, Lucas; Cavani, Lavezzi. Subs: Douchez, Cabaye, Marquinhos, Menez, Digne, Van der Wiel, Pastore
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Pre-match banter:
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has urged his players to "enjoy the risk" as they seek to overturn a 3-1 deficit in their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The teams resume hostilities at Stamford Bridge, when Chelsea will bid to become only the third team to successfully claw back a 3-1 disadvantage in the post-1992 Champions League era.
Chelsea pulled off the feat two years ago, overcoming Napoli 4-1 after a 3-1 first-leg defeat, while last season Mourinho came close to an even greater comeback with Real Madrid, who won the second leg of their semi-final against Borussia Dortmund 2-0 after a 4-1 loss in the away leg.
While Mourinho played down comparisons with the Dortmund tie, he declared that the balance of the quarter-final means that the pressure will all be on PSG.
“I think if Paris are knocked out, it will be a big disappointment for them,” Mourinho said during Monday's pre-game press conference.
"If we are knocked out, it's something everyone is expecting. We have to enjoy the risk of the situation.
“At 9.30 (pm), we can be out and we know that we have this risk, but at 7.45 we have chances to be in the semi-finals, so we have to be at 7.45 with a smile on our faces, going, playing, giving everything.
“At 9.30, let's see what happens, but at 7.45 we believe that we can do it.”
PSG have lost by two goals only once in their last 110 matches, so the statistics are not in Chelsea's favour, but the London club could be boosted by the return to fitness of Samuel Eto'o.
The Cameroon striker has missed Chelsea's last three games with a hamstring injury, but Mourinho said that he had a chance of featuring on Tuesday.
AFP
source: newshub archive
