UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg: Paris Saint Germain (PSG) beat Chelsea 2-1, Edinson Cavani nets winner

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored for the hosts before John Obi Mikel cancelled things out. Edinson Cavani scored the winner with 10 minutes left on the clock.

Updated: February 17, 2016 4:10 AM IST

By R Vishal

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg: Paris Saint Germain (PSG) beat Chelsea 2-1, Edinson Cavani nets winner

Chelsea played out of their skins in the first half and should have had a couple of goals but Zlatan Ibrahimovic and substitute Edinson Cavani’s goals gave Paris Saint Germain a win at home. Going into the knockout stages of the tournament, away goals have their worth in gold and Guus Hiddink’s side found it through an unlikely source in John Obi Mikel.

The Nigerian was culpable for a lazy block when Ibrahimovic took his free kick from 25 yards out; the ball deflected off Mikela and sent ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois the wrong way. At the stroke of half-time, it was Chelsea who had the momentum. Paris hit back strongly as their opponents sat back in the second half. Angel di Maria, Blaise Matuidi and co pegged Chelsea back and the goal came in the 80th minute.

It was Chelsea who started brightly. Last year, they were happy to sit back and play out a 0-0 draw. Here, there was purpose and drive to their attacks. In fact, there were shots at the other end too and the game was quite open. Diego Costa got the first real chance of the game from point blank range. Pedro from the left slipped a delicious ball off his wrong foot and German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp did well to tip the ball onto the bar and out of play.

Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea’s creative forces were also looking lively and a goal looked certain on the cards. Branislav Ivanovic, deputizing as captain for this game in the absence of John Terry hit the side netting from the right. Ibrahimovic got a yellow card albeit with little protests. The wave of Chelsea players surrounding him last year to get him sent off at Stamford Bridge had irked the Swede no end.

For all his exploits in the league, Ibrahimovic had a point to prove in the Champions League. He got a free kick from 25 yards out. It was hit with power and would have thundered back off the wall. Mikel got a lazy touch. To be fair to the Chelsea midfielder, the ball came at him at a fair clip. He was unable to react quickly and Courtois went to his right, and the ball rolled to the empty net towards the Belgian’s left.

Chelsea had to hit back and the reply took barely five minutes. Willian’s direct free-kick was tapped behind for a corner by David Luiz. Fabreagas swung a corner in and Costa did ever so well to duck at the near post and sent the ball into the six-yard area. Mikel, unmarked, controlled it on his shin and thumped the ball into the net with the precision of a top class striker.

Surprisingly, Chelsea sat back after scoring the equalizer. The luxury of getting an away goal must have brought about that bit of complacency. Paris were creating a wave of attacks and Chelsea, with their makeshift defense were running out of steam in all areas of the pitch.

Laurent Blanc had chosen Lucas Moura’s creativity behind the striker for Lavezzi adding more bit up front alongside Ibrahimovic. Minutes after coming on, the Uruguayan wriggled away from Ivanovic and Gary Cahill to slot the ball between the onrushing Courtois’s legs from an acute angle. Chelsea ran the danger of conceding one more but this time; Courtious had the better of Ibrahimovic in a one-on-one situation. With the away goal, Chelsea didn’t have it all that bad in front of a packed house in Parc de Princes. Hiddink lost his first game after taking over the reins from Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea’s second half play left a lot to be desired. Given the plethora of attacking options at PSG’s disposal, they could be exposed, even at home.

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