PSG 1-2

Independent:

Cavani and Ibrahimovic give PSG advantage, but Mikel goal could prove crucial

PSG 2 Chelsea 1

Ibrahimovic opened the scored before Mikel equalised from a corner, only for Cavani to put PSG back in command of the Champions League last-16 tie

Mark Ogden Parc des Princes

Guus Hiddink tasted defeat for the first time in his second incarnation as Chelsea interim manager last night, but despite the dominance of Paris Saint-Germain and the brilliance of Angel Di Maria, the Premier League champions are down, but not out, of this Champions League last-16 tie.

Edinson Cavani’s winning goal, four minutes after being introduced as a substitute by the PSG coach, Laurent Blanc, tilted the balance in favour of the French club ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge on 9 March.

But it could have been much worse for Chelsea had the wizardry of Di Maria reaped a greater dividend for the hosts, who proved they are more than merely domestic flat-track bullies.

Cavani’s clinical finish on 78 minutes from Di Maria’s sublime pass secured a deserved victory for PSG, but John Obi Mikel’s away goal gives Chelsea hope of overall victory.

For all of the question marks over the quality of Ligue 1, PSG’s domestic dominance ensured they were supremely confident owing to the winning habit that has been developed by Blanc’s players.

Success breeds success and PSG have become accustomed to cruising past opponents in France, so much so that their only defeat in any competition this season came against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu.

The French champions also went into this game having not lost at home since Barcelona triumphed at the Parc des Princes in last season’s Champions League quarter-final, so the magnitude of Chelsea’s challenge was clear.

PSG may lack a genuine domestic rival – Monaco are second in Ligue 1, 24 points adrift of Blanc’s team – but it is difficult to imagine their squad struggling to sit comfortably in the top four of the Premier League.

Chelsea are some distance south of the top four, having delivered the poorest defence of a league title since Leeds United in 1992-93, but their revival under Hiddink gave them a puncher’s chance of testing the true strength of PSG’s jaw.

Memories of last season’s dramatic round of 16 triumph over Chelsea will have bolstered PSG’s belief, but they also knew that this would be the first genuine test of their quality since the group stage encounters against Real.

And having lost just one of their last 37 European games on home turf, PSG started like a team accustomed to going in for the kill.

Inside three minutes, midfielder Marco Verratti tried his luck from 25 yards and the Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was fortunate that no PSG forward was close enough to convert the loose ball from his unconvincing parried save.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent a 30-yard free-kick over the Chelsea bar before Blaise Matuidi and Maxwell combined to leave Cesar Azpilicueta exposed down the left as Hiddink’s team struggled to keep their head above water in the early stages.

Azpilicueta redeemed himself moments later by stopping Lucas Moura in his tracks as the Brazilian winger powered towards goal and the Spaniard’s interception lifted Chelsea, perhaps only because of the defiance shown in claiming the ball.

But it was not until midway through the first half that the London club were able to build a sustained period of possession inside PSG territory.

Chelsea made it count, however, with the ball being played across the pitch and into Baba Rahman on the left flank, before the full-back delivered a perfect cross for Diego Costa.

Despite producing a powerful header, Costa saw goalkeeper Kevin Trapp produce a stunning one-handed save to push the ball on to the bar, just as the Chelsea forward appeared set to end a Champions League goal drought that had hit 501 minutes by the time he connected with the cross.

It was a rare attacking foray by Chelsea, though, with PSG retaining the upper hand, and the breakthrough came on 39 minutes when Ibrahimovic scored from a free-kick following a foul by Mikel. Ibrahimovic struck his shot low and a heavy deflection off Mikel in the wall left Courtois helpless as the ball diverted into the opposite corner to which the Belgian keeper was diving.

But Chelsea were thrown a lifeline with the last kick of the first half when the same players, Ibrahimovic and Mikel, combined once again, this time with the Swede’s fluffed header from Willian’s corner letting the ball drop to Mikel, who buried his shot from six yards to level the tie.

It could well prove a crucial strike for Chelsea, and Blanc knew the significance, to judge  by his exasperated reaction on the touchline, with the coach kicking the air in frustration as the teams left the field for half-time.

But after Chelsea had started the second half brightly, with Costa once again denied by Trapp after being released by Willian’s fine pass, PSG began to turn the screw.

Di Maria led the charge. The Argentine, who arrived in Paris last August following a disastrous season at Manchester United as a £59.7m flop, was a constant menace in Chelsea’s defensive third, flitting from wide left to the centre of the pitch and testing the visitors whenever he received the ball.

On 51 minutes, Di Maria forced a fingertip save from Courtois with a dipping  25-yard shot and, after the goalkeeper had saved from Ibrahimovic, the former Real Madrid winger opened up the Chelsea defence with a precision pass to Maxwell, whose cross into the centre was cut out by the sliding Gary Cahill.

Chelsea held firm, though, and Courtois once again rescued his team on the hour when he smothered a close-range effort from Moura.

PSG’s attacking talent is without question and they poured forward in search of a second.

Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic combined to block a Matuidi shot on 64 minutes before Courtois tipped over a Di Maria free-kick three minutes later.

But there was no stopping Cavani after he had been freed by Di Maria in a tight position on the edge of the six-yard box after 78 minutes. It was a tough chance, but the Uruguayan held his nerve to shoot past Courtois.

Chelsea can still come back from this defeat, though.



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Telegraph:

Paris Saint-Germain 2 Chelsea 1

Edinson Cavani strikes to hand Guus Hiddink first loss

Sam Wallace

Of all the Champions League knockout ties, in all the away-day sieges, and John Obi Mikel had to score in this one, to give the embattled, deposed Chelsea of 2015-2016 a glimmer of hope when they face the new new-money of European football in London next month.
A Mikel goal is such a rarity that Chelsea have had more managers in the time he has been at the club, than goals from their Nigerian midfielder, this being just his sixth in almost ten years at Stamford Bridge. Paris Saint-Germain seemed resolved to eviscerate Chelsea and that Hiddink’s side restricted them to two goals with an away goal of their own must have felt a bit like a triumph.

In these anguished post-Jose Mourinho days, when the club and its supporters try to wean themselves off the great dream they had hoped for under his second coming, they go into games like these as underdogs rather than the elite of Europe they once were. In their third consecutive knockout tie with PSG in three years it was clear just how far Abramovich’s team had slipped against the one built in Paris by the Qataris.

Only Chelsea’s memory of their old resilience, and Mikel’s away goal, kept the second leg in London on 9 March relevant. Without John Terry in defence there was a formidable performance from Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic and another from Thibaut Courtois behind them. The goalkeeper could not prevent the substitute Edinson Cavani from drilling the winner through his legs from a tight angle on 78 minutes, but it could have been so much worse.

PSG turned up in demolition mode: Angel Di Maria picking passes, Lucas Moura committing Chelsea defenders and Zlatan Ibrahimovic doing what Zlatan does, scoring the first goal among other things. Chelsea had to run hard just to stand still and not all of them were up for the battle, especially not Eden Hazard, who was substituted on 71 minutes having been the most ineffectual player on the pitch.

This was a night when Chelsea needed their Belgian miracle man to shine, if nothing else to give their defence a little respite. It was Hiddink’s first defeat in his second caretaker spell as Chelsea manager and he lost to a team who look like they are ready to go beyond the quarter-finals of this competition for the first time.
The Champions League returned for the knockout edition, not with a whimper but a bang at the Parc des Princes with the home side going after Chelsea in the first 15 minutes like a side who were chasing an equaliser in cup final injury-time. It was football without the handbrake and it swung from one end to the other at times.

PSG seemed to think that this English side, whose decline they had witnessed from afar, could be pushed over quickly and they went at Chelsea hard. Cahill had to launch himself into an early tackle on Moura. Marco Verratti had a good shot saved, Ibrahimovic struck a free-kick over the bar. “We forgot to play,” Hiddink said later of those early stages, but Chelsea looked overwhelmed.

Di Maria’s passing could be breathtaking at times. Chelsea could take heart in the fact that the masked Diego Costa was running himself into the ground at the other end – a lone ranger minus his horse. He had the ball nicked off him early on by Thiago Silva but Chelsea’s Brazilian never became disheartened.

It was around 20 minutes that Chelsea decided enough was enough and came out fighting. In that period they passed the ball beautifully at times - they had to because PSG were out to turnover possession as quickly as possible. From Baba Rahman’s cross on 23 minutes, Costa headed from close range and goalkeeper Kevin Trapp swiped the ball up onto the bar.
The game was open – ridiculously so for a first leg – but it was thrilling stuff. The breakthrough came six minutes before the break when Mikel fouled Moura, and was booked. Ibrahimovic struck the free-kick through Chelsea’s flaky wall, clipping Mikel, who had turned his back, and wrong-footing Courtois.

Chelsea responded well and equalised with almost the last kick of the half. They pushed hard to win two straight corners, the second of which was badly defended by PSG and Costa’s run opened up the space for Mikel to score from close range. Blanc said later that he was angry that his side had reached the break without holding their lead.
There was a fine second half from Cahill and Ivanovic - no Terry, but plenty that was Terry-esque from the two defenders who launched themselves at shots and crosses. None more so than when Blaise Matuidi unleashed a shot in the area on 64 minutes and Cahill got in the way.

Hiddink’s team responded to the intensity of the match, all but Hazard who drifted in and out and too often left Azpilicueta exposed on the right side. The winger eventually came off and was replaced by Oscar who went to the left when Pedro switched sides. PSG pushed hard to close the tie out and Cavani came on for the excellent Moura.
Only Willian had managed to offer Chelsea relief, especially with one brilliant run from his own half on 49 minutes when he pushed past two challenges and slipped the ball left to Costa who could not get a shot past Trapp. At the other end Courtois saved from Di Maria on 52 minutes and still PSG kept coming.

They were not to be denied in the end and the winning goal was from yet another fine ball through the centre from Di Maria. This one was chipped into the right channel where Cavani, fresh to the game, fired the ball back through the legs of Courtois who had come out to narrow down the striker’s options. PSG wanted more goals and Chelsea had to be at their most determined to hang in the tie.


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Guardian:

Edinson Cavani’s low shot gives PSG the edge over battling Chelsea

PSG 2 - 1 Chelsea

Daniel Taylor at Parc des Princes

In happier times this would probably have been considered a productive result for Chelsea in advance of a return leg under the floodlights at Stamford Bridge. They did, after all, recover from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate these opponents two years ago and managed the same against Napoli en route to winning the competition in 2012. That, however, was the old Chelsea. The new version are languishing 12th in the Premier League and, on that basis, it is not quite so easy to fancy their chances of repairing the damage inflicted by Edinson Cavani’s second-half winner.

Chelsea will be grateful for a rare goal from Mikel John Obi that means, for instance, a 1-0 win in the return leg would eliminate the French champions. Yet it is probably more realistic to say Paris St-Germain have the edge bearing in mind they put Chelsea out of the competition last season after drawing 1-1 at Park des Princes and despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s early red card in London.

It is a close-run thing, though, and that shows the level of effort Chelsea put in on a night when they were missing their two first-choice centre-halves and facing a team who attacked from all angles. John Terry’s absence through injury deprived Chelsea of a reassuring presence but for the most part Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic reminded us why they have been part of some of the club’s great nights. Chelsea had to give everything in the face of some prolonged pressure and played with enough competitive courage to leave the tie finely balanced.

They can also be encouraged by those moments when they exposed flaws in PSG’s all-Brazilian back four, though it would be difficult to argue Laurent Blanc’s team did not deserve to win. They pinned Chelsea back at times and moved the ball around with the confidence that should be expected of a team 24 points clear at the top of their domestic league. Ángel Di María was full of deft little touches, barely recognisable from his anaemic spell at Manchester United, and PSG began the game so menacingly it could easily have spiralled into a long, painful ordeal for their opponents.

Instead, Guus Hiddink will look back on the headed chance for Diego Costa during Chelsea’s first passage of controlled play in the opening half. His team might have been under the cosh but they would have taken the lead if Kevin Trapp, the home goalkeeper, had not turned the ball on to the crossbar. Costa also had a chance early in the second half only for Trapp to deny him again. Costa played well, but if Chelsea are to progress they might need to be more ruthless next time round.

They might also need some of the good fortune that Ibrahimovic enjoyed when Mikel’s trip on Lucas Moura gave the Swede the opportunity to place the ball a few yards outside the penalty area and line up his free-kick.

These are not the moments for a player in the defensive wall to turn his back and Mikel should be far too experienced to leave himself and the team vulnerable in such a way. Ibrahimovic’s shot skimmed off the Nigerian and the ball was flying at such a speed the deflection gave Thibaut Courtois no chance of correcting his position to make the save.

Mikel had committed one of the sport’s cardinal sins but he did at least make amends. He was an unlikely scorer, this being only his sixth goal in 10 years with Chelsea, but he took his chance well after the ball landed at his feet via Willian’s corner and a slight yet crucial touch from Costa at the near post. At first Mikel looked surprised to be in so much space, but his shot beat Trapp from six yards and that was a jubilant way for Chelsea to end the first half.

Once they had come through the early blizzard of PSG attacks, Hiddink’s men were certainly not just present to defend. Willian showed his ability to run with the ball, breaking out of his own half at speed and frequently stretching opponents, and there were encouraging spells when Eden Hazard and Pedro moved inside to find the spaces behind Costa.

Yet the PSG pressure accelerated again around the hour mark and that was when Cesc Fàbregas and Mikel started to be overrun in midfield, and Chelsea missed the suspended Nemanja Matic. PSG hit them with a concerted wave of high-speed attacking, with Di María prominently involved and an array of midfield runners looking to get behind the visitors’ defensive line.

Courtois tipped over a long-range effort from Di María and saved again when the equally proficient Lucas had the next effort. At one point Cahill and Ivanovic could both be seen desperately throwing themselves into the way of a goalbound shot from Blaise Matuidi. Chelsea had to play with great resilience because, just like it had been in the opening 15 minutes, the pressure was fierce.

Cavani, a substitute, was brought on to operate on the left but it was a diagonal run towards the other side of the penalty area that created the space for his goal. Di María clipped the ball into the Uruguayan’s path and his shot went beneath Courtois to end Chelsea’s 12-match unbeaten run under Hiddink and leave his team with a considerable challenge when they renew acquaintances on 9 March.


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Mail:

Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Chelsea: Late Edinson Cavani strike gives Parisians slender advantage in Champions League last-16 tie

By MARTIN SAMUEL

Super subs used to be the fairy story players in any team. Misfits, renegades, locals boys made good. They would come off the bench and win the game against the odds. At Paris Saint- Germain, it is fair to say things are being done differently.
The substitute that took this match away from Chelsea, Edinson Cavani, cost £55million and was the most expensive signing in the history of French football.
It is a sign of the rapid development at PSG that he no longer gets to start every game, and often plays in a wide role with Zlatan Ibrahimovic still the star of the show, and central. There have been rumours he would be open to a new club for some time. On Tuesday night he demonstrated why.

At the moment when Cavani arrived, PSG were facing up to a sobering experience. The runaway leaders of Ligue 1, with four draws the only blemishes in their 26 domestic fixtures so far, they were facing up to the prospect of a draw at home against ostensibly the 12th best team in the Premier League.
Of course, as we all know, Chelsea are far from that. They are a wolf in sheep’s clothing, their league position a relic of what now appears to be a dressing-room mutiny that forced the removal of manager Jose Mourinho. That Chelsea bears no resemblance to this one. Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea are, as expected, one of the most cussed and resilient teams in Europe.
So despite being kept in the game by Thibaut Courtois in the second-half, Chelsea were poised to return home with a very creditable draw. That is when Cavani struck.

Having replaced the outstanding Lucas late in the second-half, his fresh legs kept PSG’s tempo high and Chelsea at full stretch. In the 78th minute, he combined with Angel Di Maria and ensured PSG travel to London with high hopes of eliminating these opponents for the second year in succession.
Chelsea must hate playing Cavani. In seven Champions League games against them, he has three goals and made two assists, and this intervention could prove hugely significant. It was a smartly taken goal, although Courtois — exceptional until that point — may have been disappointed to be defeated at his near post.
The through ball was clipped neatly by Di Maria, Cavani got inside Baba Rahman and finished smartly with Courtois beaten, hard and low. PSG pushed for the third that would have as good as ended this tie, with Courtois smothering a fine chance for Ibrahimovic in injury time, but Chelsea will not be hugely dispirited by this, even if PSG deserved their win.

An away goal from that unlikeliest of sources, John Obi Mikel, means that a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on March 9 would see Chelsea through. It will not be easy against a team with PSG’s attacking possibilities — their front three have more goals than Chelsea put together this season – but it is far from impossible.
This has been a season of unlikely events and here was one more. Mikel is currently a more prolific goalscorer for Chelsea than Eden Hazard. While Hazard still waits for his first club goal since April, Mikel weighed in with his first since December 10, 2014 — again in the Champions League, away at Sporting Lisbon.

It capped an eventful eight minutes of European football for Mikel, involved in goals at both ends, one memorable another he will no doubt wish to forget. The passage of play began with a clumsy trip on Lucas in the 38th minute for which he was rightly booked by Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo.
Ibrahimovic lined up the free-kick and took a rather poor one. He went for power rather than precision, topped it low, and against all merit got a lucky break. The ball hit Mikel, who had taken his eye off it — a cardinal sin in the wall — and wrong-footed Courtois. PSG were ahead, Mikel stood accused. And then, with the last action of the first-half, redemption.
The clock had ticked into injury time when Chelsea won a corner. Willian took it, and hit the first man. He then delivered a second and nailed it. Diego Costa got the headed flick and the ball fell to Mikel, on the edge of the six-yard box, directly in front of goal.

He looked as surprised as anyone, took half a second to assess this unexpected windfall, and rammed it past the impressive Kevin Trapp in the PSG goal. We would hear more of Trapp were he not pegged behind Manuel Neuer, and others, for Germany. It was the first goal PSG had conceded at home in the competition all season.
It might not have been the only one, either, were it not for Trapp’s quick wits. In the 24th minute, he made a brilliant one-handed save from a Costa header, after Rahman had ended a lengthy spell of possession with a neat cross. The ball spun up off Trapp and hit the bar, the best chance of the first-half.
He was quickly out in the 50th minute too, saving from Costa after Willian had run close to the length of the pitch to set him up. Yet the lion’s share of the chances fell to PSG — and Courtois was considerably busier.

The game was only four minutes in when Marco Verratti — outstanding in last season’s tie — struck a shot from 20 yards that forced a fine save from Courtois. He parried and Branislav Ivanovic quickly pounced to clear. Just two minutes later, the dangerous Lucas cut inside and unleashed a shot from 25 yards that flew just wide. Chelsea were still to enter the final third at the opposite end.
The second-half was equally one-sided at times, and the list of players frustrated by Courtois grew lengthy. Di Maria with a shot tipped over after 52 minutes; Ibrahimovic with another shot a minute later; Maxwell, Courtois saving at his feet in the 59th minute; Lucas, a shot stopped with merely another minute on the clock; Di Maria, a free-kick tipped round after 67 minutes. It was close to a faultless display until Cavani intervened.

Chelsea only began to sell tickets for the away end in any number in recent weeks, too many at first fearing a hiding against a team it is felt have a genuine chance in the competition this season. There were times when those fears looked like being realised, others when there were glimpses of the Chelsea of old. The biggest disappointment, once again, was the form of Hazard, who had upset Hiddink by appearing to invite a move to PSG in an interview published in France.
Instead of dropping him, he started him, but if he was hoping for a shop window display the coach would have been very disappointed. Hazard was insipid, created little, never looked like scoring and was replaced by Oscar with 19 minutes remaining.
He has one more chance to convince PSG of his value next month because, on this performance, he wouldn’t get near their team.

MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS

PSG (4-3-2-1): Trapp 7.5; Marquinhos 7, Thiago Silva 7, Luiz 6.5, Maxwell 7; Verratti 8 (Rabiot 81, 6), Thiago Motta 8, Matuidi 8.5 (Pastore 81, 6); Di Maria 7, Lucas Moura 7 (Cavani 74, 7); Ibrahimovic 7.
Subs not used: Sirigu, Stambouli, Kurzawa, Van der Wiel.
Booked: Ibrahimovic, Luiz, Lucas.
Goals: Ibrahimovic 39, Cavani 78.
Manager: Laurent Blanc 7.5.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Courtois 7.5; Azpilicueta 6.5, Ivanovic 8, Cahill 8, Baba 7; Mikel 7; Pedro 6.5, Willian 7.5, Fabregas 7, Hazard 6.5 (Oscar 71, 6); Costa 7.
Subs not used: Begovic, Traore, Kenedy, Remy, Miazga, Loftus-Cheek.
Booked: Mikel, Pedro.
Goal: Mikel 45+1.
Manager: Guus Hiddink 7.
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo 6.5.
Man of the Match: Blaise Matuidi.


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Mirror:

PSG 2-1 Chelsea: Substitute Edinson Cavani gives hosts first leg advantage - 5 things we learned

BY BEN BURROWS

The oft-criticised Uruguayan climbed off the bench to rescue the French side after John Obi Mikel had slammed in a potentially priceless away goal

Edinson Cavani climbed off the bench to seize the advantage for Paris Saint-Germain against Chelsea in the Champions League last 16 first leg.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic fired in a deflected free-kick to give the hosts the first-half lead before John Obi-Mikel smashed in from a corner to level just before the break.

But despite heroic Blues defending, striker Cavani finally made the territorial advantage count with a sharp finish to give Laurent Blanc's men the advantage heading into the second leg in London in three weeks' time.

Here are five things we learned in Paris:

Chelsea are still Chelsea

Whether it's a lack of desire or an air of laziness or too many Kryptonite corn flakes, the all-conquering Blues of a year ago just aren't the same animal these days.

But cometh the Champions League hour, cometh the real Chelsea.

Such was the bus parking on show tonight the dearly-departed Jose Mourinho would've been proud. Dogged, defensive and defiant to the last this was what we've come to expect from these boys in blue in the biggest moments.

These nights are what they've always done best and when once again faced with a more talented foe they brought their A-game to the party.

And what's more, with John Obi Mikel's priceless away goal safely pocketed they may now believe they are actually favourites to progress.

Against the odds and anti-football it may be, but it's all very Chelsea.

Were it not for Eden Hazard's malaise or John Terry's waning superpowers, Cesc Fabregas ' fall from grace would be garnering a lot more attention.

After such a spectacular first season back in the English game last year Fabregas has been a shadow of his arch-assisting self this.

While he's improved of late - basically, since Mourinho got the chop - the Spaniard was superb this evening, employed in a deeper role than you might ordinarily expect.

Up against one of the best midfield trios in world football, Fabregas excelled and was the catalyst for a performance that gives the Blues every chance of progressing against the odds.

Until the weekend just gone, John Obi Mikel was an ever-present under interim boss Guus Hiddink and deservedly so after a series of top drawer defensive midfield displays.

Mikel showed tonight, in six very silly minutes, both sides to his infuriating game.

In the 38th minute, a very poor challenge on Lucas earned him a booking. A minute later came Zlatan's free-kick for which he provided the decisive deflection.

Mikel back to being Mikel again, you'd think.

But then minutes later he popped up at a corner just before the half to slam home the equaliser.

It's hard to overstate just how fast PSG rushed out of the blocks.

The hosts started firmly on the front foot and could have been three or four up before the half-hour mark.

But their profligate finishing gave Chelsea a glimmer and Diego Costa nearly made them pay big time.

Only Kevin Trapp's sensational one-handed save kept the Blues from taking the most unlikely and undeserved of leads into the break.

That chance aside, he ploughed a lone furrow all night long and was the precious out-ball his team needed time and again.

Like him or loathe him, the Spaniard always gives you a chance.

Manchester United should be kicking themselves

Whatever Louis van Gaal thinks, Angel Di Maria is an exquisitely fine footballer.

Tonight in Paris the Argentine showed everyone, including his former employers, all of the quality that made him the Champions League final's man of the match just two short seasons ago.

In the hosts' early blitz, the 28-year-old was central to everything PSG did well, which was an awful lot.

And he was tremendous thereafter too, providing the game-winning assist no less.

Unsettled or homesick or whatever, he certainly looks a player United could do with right about now.


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Express:

PSG 2 - Chelsea 1: Edinson Cavani strikes late to deny Guus Hiddink's brave Blues in Paris

IN THE end they just could not hold on. After looking like escaping from Paris Saint-Germain with a draw, substitute Edinson Cavani spoiled the party.

By PETER EDWARDS IN PARIS

He had been on the pitch just five minutes after replacing Lucas in the second half and spun on to Angel Di Maria’s pass before half-volleying the ball through the legs of Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Now it is all to do at Stamford Bridge on March 9.

John Obi Mikel, of all people, had pulled Chelsea level. The strike was the culmination of an amazing seven minutes Mikel will never forgot.

For before claiming only his second goal in the competition – the other came at home to Sporting Lisbon in December 2014 – he got himself booked and then deflected the free-kick into his own goal for his transgression.

Mikel, who has become a key player again under interim boss Guus Hiddink, was cautioned for bringing down Lucas 25 yards out in the 38th minute.

It was to prove costly as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s low free-kick deflected off the half-turning Mikel’s shin in the Chelsea wall, and deceived keeper Thibaut Courtois, who was diving the other way to his right.

Former Chelsea star David Luiz showed how to block in a wall soon after as he leapt to keep Willian’s effort away from goal.

But from the corner just before the break, Mikel got his revenge.

In the second-half the Blues began strongly, with Willian breaking quickly and feeding Costa, but he couldn't get the ball past the legs of Trapp.

But PSG quickly asserted their control, and began to fire effort after effort at Courtois' goal. First the Blues goalkeeper was forced into a great save to deny Lucas, and then both Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill blocked Blaise Matuidi's close range shot.

Oscar almost grabbed Chelsea an unlikely lead but he was a toe-length away from poking the ball past Trapp.

But it was PSG who go the crucial victory when substitute Cavani raced onto Angel di Maria's chipped pass and worked the ball in at an angle past Courtois.

Willian took it and after skimming off Costa’s head it landed perfect for the onrushing Nigerian to control in his mid-drift area then lash home gleefully with right foot.

Away goals are precious at this stage of the Champions League and although Chelsea looked at times like they could be overwhelmed by the might of PSG - they are a staggering 24 points clear in France - they were so dangerous on the break.

In fact there was much of their performance, including the resilience in defence and counter-attack sharpness, which was a throwback to their 2012 success in the Champions League.

Eden Hazard, though, who claimed before the match he could not turn down PSG, did not exactly sparkle and was guilty, at times, of gifting possession to the moneybags outfit. He was hooked for Oscar in the 71st minute.

It was some atmosphere and the home support loved it in the third minute when a brilliant back-heel from Ibrahimovic to Lucas showed he was ready to put on a show.

A minute later Marco Verratti forced Courtois down low to his left to push away a 20-yard drive.

Without his two first-choice centre-halves, the injured John Terry and Kurt Zouma, Hiddink was forced to move Branislav Ivanovic across from right-back to partner Gary Cahill and brought in Baba Rahman.

They did not let him down, nor did keeper Courtois, who put in a display 2012 hero Cech would have been proud of.

Angel Di Maria and Lucas were just inches away from getting a touch to a Maxwell ball into the danger-zone.

Then in the 23rd minute Chelsea suddenly almost scored. An inviting ball in from Rahman was perfect for Costa to meet with a header, having escaped the attentions of ex-Chelsea star David Luiz.

It looked a goal but keeper Kevin Trapp threw up his right hand to tip on the bar and for a corner. Azpilicueta could only manage an air shot when Pedro looked to have picked him out in the box.

Cahil did well to distract Ibrahimovic in the 33rd minute as the Swede looked set to pounce on Di Maria cross.  Instead he headed tamely into the ground and over the bar.

Another Chelsea counter-attack soon after the restart saw Willian play Costa into the box, but his attempted dinked shot over Trapp was not high enough and the keeper blocked.

Courtois tipped over a screamer from Di Maria and Ivanovic blocked a Ibrahimovic attempt as the Paris side responded.

Belgian keeper Courtois also did well to keep out a rasping drive from the lively Lucas in the 61st minute as Chelsea strove for the result to give them the edge in their third successive year playing PSG in the competition.


PSG (4-3-3): Trapp; Marquinhos, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Maxwell; Verratti, Thiago Motta, Matuidi; Di Maria, Ibrahimovic, Lucas.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Rahman; Fabregas, Mikel; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Costa.

Referee: Carlos Carballo (Spain).


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Star:

Paris St-Germain 2 Chelsea 1: Battling Blues downed by supersub Edinson Cavani

CHELSEA will need to show the spirit and resilience of 2012 if they want to survive in the Champions League.

By David Woods

For long periods in Paris there was a sense of all our yesterdays about them, suggesting that victory in Europe could be repeated.

That they face such a challenge to progress was down to another throwback to that stunning success under Roberto Di Matteo.

For PSG’s Edinson Cavani came off the bench in the 74th minute and claimed the winner just four minutes later.

At the corresponding stage in 2011-12, the Uruguayan hitman scored for Napoli as they beat the Blues 3-1 at home.

Chelsea famously came back to beat the Italians 4-1 at home after extra-time and now they have a slightly less daunting task in a three weeks time.


The season the Blues beat mighty Bayern Munich in a penalty shoot-out in the final they were also pretty shoddy in the league.

Granted four years ago they were only 15 points off the top of the table, not 20 like now.

But there was plenty of similarities tonight in the Parc des Princes.

Keeper Thibaut Courtois might have done better for Cavani’s goal but otherwise he denied PSG much in the way Petr Cech often did opponents in that glory season.

Elsewhere Chelsea worked tirelessly, defended as if their season, if not their lives, depended on it, and were excellent on the counter-attack once again.

Possession-wise the 35 per cent was similar to many games in that campaign.

The one minus was yet another uninspiring display by Eden Hazard.


He said before the match he would find it hard to turn down if PSG came calling. On this display it is unlikely the phone will be ringing and he was hooked for Oscar in the 71st minute.

One of the heroes of the 2012 final was John Obi Mikel.

Him scoring in the Champions League is almost as rare as an interview with Roman Abramovich.

But the holding midfielder claimed a crucial one to cheer the silent billionaire. His strike was the culmination of an amazing seven minutes Mikel will never forgot.

For before claiming only his second goal in the competition, the other came at home to Sporting Lisbon in December 2014, he got himself booked and then deflected into his own goal the free-kick for his transgression.

Mikel was cautioned for bringing down Lucas in the 38th minute. It was to prove costly as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s low free-kick deflected off the half-turning Mikel’s shin in the Chelsea wall, and deceived Courtois.

Ex-Chelsea star David Luiz showed how to block in a wall soon after as he leapt to keep Willian’s effort away from goal.


But from the corner just before the break, Mikel got his revenge.

Willian took it and after skimming off Costa’s head it landed perfectly for the onrushing Nigerian to lash home gleefully with his right foot.

Away goals are precious at this stage of the Champions League and although Chelsea looked at times like they could be overwhelmed by the might of PSG - they are a staggering 24 points clear in France - they were so dangerous on the break.

PSG dominated possession but Courtois was in fine form, and the men in front of him also giving their all.

Without his two first-choice centre-halves, the injured John Terry and Kurt Zouma, Hiddink was forced to move Branislav Ivanovic across from right-back to partner Gary Cahill and brought in Baba Rahman. They did not let him down.

Despite PSG’s early dominance, Chelsea suddenly almost scored in the 23rd minute.

An inviting ball in from Rahman was perfect for Costa to meet with a header.


It looked a goal but keeper Kevin Trapp threw up his right hand to tip on the bar and for a corner.

Another Chelsea counter-attack soon after the restart saw Willian play Costa into the box, but his attempted dinked shot over Trapp was not high enough and the keeper blocked.

Courtois tipped over a screamer from Di Maria and Ivanovic blocked an Ibrahimovic attempt as the Paris side responded.

Belgian keeper Courtois also did well to keep out a rasping drive from the lively Lucas in the 61st minute.

But Courtois let himself down slightly when Angel Di Maria played in Cavani and his angled shot slipped under his body.

But before and after he was impressive, denying Ibrahimovic late on.