CHELSEA can be well pleased with their performance against Paris St Germain in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash.
The Blues may have gone down 2-1 in the French capital – their first defeat since Guus Hiddink took over as interim manager – but they are very much still in the tie.
Given the respective domestic campaigns of the two sides, Blues fans must have feared the tie would be as good as over by the time the runaway French league leaders travelled to Stamford Bridge on March 9 for the return clash.
But Hiddink was certainly buoyed as his side defended stoically before PSG substitute Edison Cavani eventually gave the French side victory on the night with 12 minutes remaining, the Dutchman claiming the tie is 50-50 after the first leg.
“Scoring away is always good,” said Hiddink. “I’m never happy with a loss but it’s not a dramatic loss.
“It hurt a bit at the end but the team is still in the race.
“On four or five counters, with the last pass we were not lethal enough but we can be happy with the performance.”
In recent seasons you’d suggest a slender Chelsea win at home was very much on the cards but their record at The Bridge this campaign has been far from impregnable.
Hiddink’s men certainly have the firepower to score but whether they can keep the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Angel Di Maria, Lucas Moura, Cavani under wraps remains to be seen.
If the Blues can keep it level until half-time, we think they could just nick a decisive 1-0 victory and cause a boiler by advancing on away goals.
Are Chelsea fans confident of overturning the deficit or have PSG done enough in Paris?
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Football Advisor – bet with confidence.
