Less than a week after the spectacular 5-2 home triumph over Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain returned to Champions League action against the Blues in the second leg of the round of 16, this time at Stamford Bridge. Despite the handy lead secured at the Parc des Princes, Luis Enrique’s men knew they faced a tough task, but Les Rouge et Bleus weren’t intimidated by the electric atmosphere at the Bridge – in fact, it seemed to inspire them.
Ice cold in front of goal, Les Parisiens struck twice in the opening 15 minutes: the first by Kvaratskhelia, who got the better of Mamadou Sarr (0-1, 6’), and the second by Bradley Barcola, who fired a splendid shot that left CFC goalkeeper Robert Sánchez with no chance (0-2, 14’)! It was the ideal start to the match for the side from the French capital while Liam Rosenior’s team had to wait until the end of the first half to pose a threat through Cole Palmer, but Matvey Safonov denied him with a strong save (42’).
In the second half, Chelsea saw more of the ball and began to threaten the Paris goal. From just outside the box, João Pedro curled a right-footed shot just wide (58'). Moments later, substitute Liam Delap met a cross from Pedro Neto, but Safonov intervened (61’). Paris appeared untouchable and they pulled further ahead thanks to a third goal by Senny Mayulu, with a powerful left-footed strike (0-3, 62’)!
As the minutes ticked by, Chelsea’s hopes evaporated, and the stands at Stamford Bridge began to empty. It was symbolic of a perfect evening for the Parisians, who never gave their opponents a chance to get back into the tie. During the final quarter-hour, Luis Enrique’s players managed their lead without facing any serious pressure from the opposition to keep a clean sheet.
The 8-2 aggregate triumph sees Paris Saint-Germain secured advance to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in style. Les Rouge et Bleus, who travel to Nice this weekend for Matchday 27 of Ligue 1, will find out their next European opponent on Wednesday night, following the match between Liverpool and Galatasaray. The adventure continues!
