What do Chelsea need in the second leg against PSG to reach the Champions League quarter-finals?

PSG will arrive at Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 advantage - but there is a silver lining for Chelsea

Jack de Menezes
Wednesday 17 February 2016 08:27 EST
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Guus Hiddink remonstrates on the sidelines during Chelsea's 2-1 loss to PSG
Guus Hiddink remonstrates on the sidelines during Chelsea's 2-1 loss to PSG (Getty Images)

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Chelsea will return to Stamford Bridge with their hopes of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals still alive after scoring what could be a crucial away goal at the Parc des Princes in the 2-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Canai – introduced from the substitutes’ bench after replacing Lucas Moura – ensured the Parisian club will head to London with a slender advantage, but John Obi Mikel’s fifth goal for the Blues means that Chelsea may just have an ace up their sleeve.

Chelsea and PSG have met in the Champions League knockout stages in the past two years, and on both occasions the winners were determined by an away goal – the Blues going through after a 3-3 draw in 2014 only for PSG to reverse the result in their favour last season.

It’s for that reason that Chelsea can genuinely believe they can upset the odds and knock the runaway Ligue 1 leaders out of the Champions League, despite the Blues going through their worst season under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.

So what do Chelsea need in the return leg?

A simple 1-0 victory will be enough to book Chelsea’s place in the quarter-finals, given they will go through on the away goals rule.

Any win of two goals or more will also be enough to see the Blues into the last eight.

A 2-1 victory for Chelsea will see the tie go to extra-time and, if needed, a penalty shootout.Last season’s encounter saw Eden Hazard convert a penalty in the 96th minute only for Thiago Silva to head PSG into the quarter-finals with a 114th-minute winner.

A draw or defeat will see Chelsea knocked out of the Champions League.

A win by just one goal with PSG scoring more than one away goal will also eliminate the Blues

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