Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea will be eager to inch closer to a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals when they clash at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
The first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 will culminate on Wednesday, which will witness two of the most highly anticipated ties in the current phase. The action on the day will start with the game between Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal at BayArena before ending with three simultaneous matches, including PSG vs Chelsea at Parc des Princes.
Paris Saint-Germain had to take the scenic route to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 for a second successive campaign, and they clinched a hard-fought 5-4 win on aggregate in the playoffs after finishing 11th in the standings. Meanwhile, Luis Enrique’s men have been blowing hot and cold in recent weeks, winning only three of their last six games in all competitions.
AS Monaco got a measure of revenge on Les Parisiens this past weekend, clinching a 3-1 win to help RC Lens come within one point of the Ligue 1 summit. That will give some hope to Chelsea heading into the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg at Parc des Princes.
The Blues have arrived in the round of 16 after finishing in the top eight of the table in the opening phase. However, Liam Rosenior’s men have been inconsistent in their recent outings, following up a convincing performance with a frustrating display. Chelsea had to work hard for a victory this past weekend, leaving it late to beat Wrexham 4-2 in the FA Cup fifth round. However, they have lost only to Arsenal since Rosenior took over as the head coach.
The most recent match featuring PSG and Chelsea ended in a 3-0 win for the West London club in the ill-tempered FIFA Club World Cup final last summer. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
PSG
Luis Enrique has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The PSG manager may be bereft of the services of only one first-team player vs Chelsea on Wednesday.
Enrique continues to sweat over Fabian Ruiz’s fitness, with the Spanish international recovering from a knee injury. Meanwhile, Nuno Mendes is walking the suspension tightrope, as his next booking will earn him a one-match ban.
Matvey Safonov will get the nod over Lucas Chevalier between the sticks, with PSG lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Wednesday. The backline will feature Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, and Nuno Mendes.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, and Joao Neves in the middle of the park. Finally, Ousmane Dembele will lead the line for PSG against Chelsea, with Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Joao Neves; Doue, Dembele, Barcola
Chelsea
Like his counterpart in the Paris Saint-Germain dugout, Liam Rosenior has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Parc des Princes. The Chelsea head coach will be without four first-team players on Wednesday.
Levi Colwill is a long-term absentee, with the English international recovering from a knee injury. While Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens are closing in on returning from their hamstring issues, Wednesday’s game may have come too soon for the attacking duo. Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable after failing a doping test over a year ago.
Filip Jorgensen should get the nod over Robert Sanchez, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs PSG on Wednesday. The backline will feature Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos in the double pivot, with Enzo Fernandez reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Joao Pedro will spearhead the Chelsea attack against PSG, with Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Andrey Santos; Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto; Joao Pedro
Key Stats
- PSG and Chelsea last faced in the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16 in 2015/16, with Les Parisiens winning both legs 2-1. The Blues have only won two of eight Champions League matches against PSG (D3 L3). They have only lost more games against Bayern Munich and Barcelona (4 each) than the French outfit (3) in the competition.
- PSG have progressed from their last three UEFA Champions League knockout ties against English clubs, with each victory coming in the 2025/26 season (Liverpool in the round of 16, Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, Arsenal in the semi-finals).
- Since losing 2-1 to PSG in March 2016, Chelsea have won all six of UEFA Champions League games against French clubs (four vs Lille, two vs Rennes).
- PSG are the top-ranked team in the UEFA Champions League this season for possession average (69.7%), build-up attacks per game (7.3), and pass completion rate under high-intensity pressure (85.7%).
- Since the start of last season, only Ousmane Dembele (16) has more combined goals and assists for PSG in the UEFA Champions League than Achraf Hakimi (13). The Moroccan full-back also leads all players for the French club in this period for assists (8) and chances created (54).
Player to Watch
Vitinha
While Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Ousmane Dembele were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Vitinha as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea at Parc des Princes.
The Portuguese international has the highest pass completion rate under high-intensity pressure of any midfielder in the Champions League this season (93.3% – min. 50 attempted). Additionally, Vitinha leads all players in this edition for total passes completed under high-intensity pressure (470). How he fares will determine if PSG can get the better of Chelsea in the midweek clash.
Prediction
PSG 2-1 Chelsea
PSG narrowly beat Chelsea in the most recent UEFA Champions League tie featuring these sides. However, the home side will be eager to get a measure of revenge on the West London club after the 3-0 defeat in last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
So, the hosts will go all guns blazing, hoping to exploit the away side’s defensive vulnerabilities. While that will leave gaps at the back, PSG should have enough quality to secure a narrow advantage heading into next week’s second leg. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Luis Enrique and his charges.
