Paris Saint-Germain took control of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Chelsea this evening courtesy of a 3-1 win in the first leg at the Parc des Princes.
The hosts opened the scoring inside three minutes as Ezequiel Lavezzi hammered the ball into the roof of the net after a poor clearance from John Terry.
Eden Hazard levelled things up from the spot before half time, but PSG were back in front shortly after the hour mark as David Luiz turned Lavezzi's free kick into his own net.
Chelsea appeared to be satisfied with a 2-1 defeat in the closing stages, but PSG weren't done as Javier Pastore danced his way into the box before beating Petr Cech at his near post for a crucial third deep into stoppage time.
You can read how a thrilling encounter between two of the richest clubs in the world unfolded with Sports Mole's live play-by-play coverage below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for another huge night of European football as Paris Saint-Germain host Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. There were plenty of talking points from last night's games and I expect nothing less today as two of the world's richest clubs go head to head at the Parc des Princes. It should be a cracker!
We'll start with a look at our hosts tonight, and they certainly present a daunting task for Chelsea to overcome. PSG come into tonight's match having won their last nine games in all competitions, while their unbeaten run stretches to 13. During their nine-match winning streak they have scored a whopping 22 goals and conceded just three. They could not ask to come into this match in any better form.
Such scintillating form has seen them move 13 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table, and a second consecutive league title now appears to be a mere formality with just seven matches remaining. There was plenty of speculation over whether PSG would be able to hold off the mega-rich Monaco, but the capital club have used their own cash cow to cruise to what looks like an inevitable title.
They have done it in style, too, scoring more goals than any other side and also conceding the least in the league. Indeed, their tally of 71 goals for is already better than they managed in their title-winning season last year, and they still have seven matches to add to that. They have only been beaten once in the league throughout the entire campaign, while in all competitions they have only been beaten three times - once each in the cup and Champions League to add to their solitary league defeat.
That run of form stretches all the way back to early March 2013, meaning that Laurent Blanc's side have only been beaten three times in more than a year - a superb record for any side. That lone defeat in the Champions League came in the group stages as they fell to a 2-1 loss to Benfica, although it was irrelevant for PSG as they had already secured qualification from their group at that point.
Benfica's win is PSG's only loss in their last 16 Champions League matches, a run that includes a double header against Barcelona at this stage last season. The French giants came very close to knocking the much-fancied Barca out, but a draw in either leg eventually saw them eliminated on goal difference. They come into this match with that valuable experience under their belts, however, so they will be very disappointed if they can't progress past Chelsea this season. European competition is very much the next target for PSG now that they have seemingly conquered French football.
Their home form is even more impressive, with just one defeat at the Parc des Princes in all competitions since November 2012 - a run of 39 matches. That defeat came in the cup against Montpellier earlier this season, meaning that they are unbeaten in the league and Champions League in that time. They have made it very much a fortress.
Indeed, they have not lost in the Champions League at home since 2004, although their lengthy absence from the competition before last season means that that is only a run of nine games. More impressively, they are unbeaten in their last 28 European games in front of their own fans, a run that stretches all the way back to November 2006.
Chelsea face a very tough test tonight, then, especially considering that their away form has faltered recently. Back-to-back league defeats on the road, against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, have derailed their Premier League title bid, while in all competitions they have only won one of their last six away games, and that came on the short trip across West London to take on local rivals Fulham.
It has been a costly spell for Chelsea, with Saturday's shock defeat to Palace potentially costing them the title this season. Jose Mourinho certainly thought so, ruling his side out of the race following the defeat, although he has been doing that all season. It is no longer in their hands, however, as they sit two points behind leaders Liverpool and just two above Manchester City, who have played two games fewer.
Despite their recent defeats to the likes of Villa and Palace, Mourinho will still feel confident going into this tie. His side have generally performed a lot better against the big teams this season - notably thrashing Arsenal 6-0 between those two shock losses. They became the first team to take points of Manchester City at the Etihad in the league earlier this season, so there is no doubt that Mourinho is capable of getting his side results on the big occasion.
You won't find many more managers more suited to the Champions League, either. While Mourinho never won the biggest prize in his first spell at Chelsea, nor with the might of Real Madrid, he is still a two-time winner of the competition and is bidding to become the first man to win it three times with three different clubs. His recent record in the competition is incredible, having reached the semi-finals in seven of the last nine seasons that they have been available to him.
With a strikeforce that Mourinho has (not so) privately admitted that he is unhappy with, Chelsea have relied very much on their defensive solidity this season. They have the best record in the Premier League with just 24 goals conceded, while they have also kept five clean sheets in their last seven Champions League matches. I wouldn't be surprised to see Chelsea play for another tonight as they look to remain in the tie going into the second leg, but keeping the likes of Ibrahimovic, Cavani and Lavezzi quiet is easier said than done.
Chelsea haven't had the smoothest of times in the competition so far. There were questions over whether they would even qualify from Group E having fallen to defeats both home and away against Basel. However, they managed to top the group, two points clear of Schalke, and it is in the knockout stages that they really come into their own. With Mourinho at the helm, you can never discount Chelsea - who showed as recently as 2012 that the best team doesn't always necessarily win this tournament.
However, away from home they have only won two of their last six Champions League matches, with both victories coming in the group stages of this year's competition. They could only draw 1-1 in the away leg of their last 16 tie against Galatasaray before comfortably beating the Turks 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in from both sides and the big news is that Chelsea are starting without a recognised striker. With Eto'o injured and Torres left on the bench, Andre Schurrle gets the nod to lead the line. Ramires, Willian and Oscar come into the side, while Luiz retains his place despite limping off at half time against Palace on Saturday. PSG, meanwhile, make six changes to their side, including welcoming Alex, Verratti and Matuidi back into the side. Full team news for both sides coming right up...
PSG STARTING XI: Sirigu; Jallet, Alex, Silva, Maxwell; Verratti, Motta, Matuidi; Cavani, Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi
PSG SUBS: Douchez, Marquinhos, Digne, Cabaye, Rabiot, Pastore, Lucas
CHELSEA STARTING XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Luiz; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Schurrle
CHELSEA SUBS: Schwarzer, Kalas, Ake, Mikel, Lampard, Ba, Torres
So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, it is certainly a strong one fielded from the hosts, as shown by the fact that they can leave a player like Lucas on the bench. The defence of PSG is generally considered to be their weakest point, but their record in the league this season suggests that they are more than capable of keeping the opposition at bay. Certainly, with players like Thiago Silva in there, they have plenty of quality. Alex, meanwhile, faces a match against his former club and will be keen to impress.
PSG's midfield is an incredibly strong area for them, with Verratti, Motta and Matuidi supplying plenty of threat both going forward and helping their defence. The midfield may well be a key battle in this game as Chelsea look to prevent the hosts from running the game and given the dangerous front three plenty of chances. Whoever comes out on top in the middle of the park tonight is likely to get the better result.
There is no doubt that PSG's front three are their focal point, however, and if Chelsea are to reach the semis then they will need to find a way to stop them. Cavani has flourished in his first season with the club, linking up with Lavezzi and Ibrahimovic with aplomb to create a truly fearsome unit. The star of the show is undoubtedly Ibrahimovic, though, as he looks to enhance his reputation as one of the top players in world football. He has certainly done that throughout the season, scoring a club-record 40 goals already, including 10 in the Champions League - only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more.
In contrast to Ibrahimovic's goalscoring exploits in this competition, Chelsea's top scorer only has three goals in the Champions League this season. With neither Eto'o or Torres starting, it appears as if Mourinho is very much putting the emphasis on defence tonight. Schurrle has certainly shown that he knows where the goal is, but he is not an orthodox striker and his selection to lead the line is an interesting one.
Most of Chelsea's goals this season have come from midfield, and specifically Eden Hazard, their top scorer in all competitions. The Belgian has been a real threat throughout the season and has established himself as one of the best young players in the world. Tonight will give him a big stage on which to showcase his skills, and it remains to be seen whether he will flourish or not on such an occasion. He has able support in the form of Willian and Oscar, but it is Hazard who is likely to pose the biggest threat to PSG's defence tonight.
Protecting the back four, Ramires and Luiz have a very important role to play tonight. PSG are likely to see a lot of the ball and I would be surprised if the hosts don't spend the majority of the match on top, meaning that the two defensive midfielders will be called into action plenty of times. The absence of Nemanja Matic through ineligibility is a blow as he has been superb since arriving in January.
Perhaps the biggest question tonight will be how the Chelsea defence cope with the PSG attack, however. The Blues' back four has been very impressive this season, but Terry is coming off the back of an own goal against Palace while Azpilicueta was beaten on a number of occasions in that match. If Puncheon and Mariappa can get the better of the Spaniard, the likes of Lavezzi and Cavani will certainly fancy their chances.
PREDICTION: Out of all the mouth-watering Champions League quarter-finals this season, this is perhaps the hardest to call. PSG are in superb form and looking to make the step up to the next level with a good performance in the Champions League, while Chelsea and Mourinho have been here and done it before, and can never be counted out. Chelsea have raised their game against the bigger teams recently and will want to respond to the Palace defeat, but I think PSG will have enough about them to win this match. It will be close, but I'm going to go for a 2-1 home win, setting up a tasty second leg next week.
PSG's record against English teams is not good, although they have rarely been as impressive as they are at the moment. In all, they have faced English opposition seven times, drawing three, losing three and winning just the once.
In addition to that, they have never beaten Chelsea - although these two sides have only met each other twice before. That came in the group stages of the 2004-05 competition, when Chelsea won 3-0 here in Mourinho first ever European game in charge of the Blues. The return fixture at Stamford Bridge ended 0-0 in a season that saw Chelsea progress all the way to the semi-finals before being beaten by eventual winners Liverpool.
PSG will be looking for a similar first leg to the one they enjoyed against Bayer Leverkusen in the last round, as they all but secured their place in the quarters with a 4-0 away win. Any draw, or even remaining within one goal, would probably suit Chelsea tonight, particularly if they are able to get an away goal.
The other Champions League quarter-final on offer tonight is another cracker as Real Madrid host Borussia Dortmund at the Bernabeu. You can follow that with us here, while I will also be keeping you up to date with major events from that match here. What a night of European football!
The two sides come out to a packed Parc des Princes and on comes the Champions League music that seems to make every European night that much more special. PSG are looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time in 19 years in this tie.
The pre-match niceties are over and we're just about ready to go in a huge match for both clubs. This should be a superb encounter, and the fans are certainly trying to play their part.
KICKOFF: PSG get us underway amidst a cacophony of noise and immediately attack the Chelsea defence. The ball is cleared as far as Verratti, who fires an early effort wide.
GOAL! PSG 1-0 Chelsea (Ezequiel Lavezzi)
What a start for PSG! They take the lead within three minutes as Terry can't get enough on his clearance, nodding it straight to Lavezzi inside the box. However, from that point on it is all about Lavezzi as he takes it down before thumping a brilliant volley into the roof of the net. Superb finish, but Chelsea won't be happy with the defence.
That is a nightmare start for Chelsea, it really is. Mourinho's game plan would have been to keep things tight and just stay in the tie until the second leg. However, that has almost gone out of the window already and now they will need to be more attacking than they would have previously fancied.
UPDATE: There has also been an early goal in the other quarter-final of the night, with Real Madrid taking the lead against Dortmund. It was Gareth Bale who got the goal, giving the Spanish giants the lead just as PSG themselves broke the deadlock in this match.
Mourinho's decision to start without a recognised striker could well come back to haunt him following that early goal. Chelsea could really do with getting a goal back in this match, but they are relying on midfielders to do so. Talented as they are, they are natural finishers.
Chelsea have responded well to going behind, though, and they are beginning to show signs of threatening the PSG defence. Hazard in particular is looking to get more time on the ball, but the hosts are ganging up on him, with Cavani working extra hard to get back.
YELLOW CARD! Big blow for Chelsea as Ramires goes into the book for a foul on Lavezzi. It was a definite yellow, and that means that he will miss the second leg, leaving Chelsea without both Ramires and Matic.
Ibrahimovic has won pretty much every header so far, which is not a scenario that the likes of Terry and Cahill find themselves in. The Swedish superstar has proved that he can walk the walk as well as talk the talk this season, and he is looking dangerous again tonight.
Ibrahimovic is dropping quite deep in an attempt to pull the strings from midfield, leaving Cavani and Lavezzi up front. It is a good ploy for PSG, and almost pays off with a pass to Jallet down the right, but Hazard does well to force a corner.
Decent spell of possession for Chelsea as the knock the ball around inside the Chelsea half. They can't make any progress through the middle, however, forcing them to cross the ball into the box. PSG deal with it comfortably, while Chelsea lacking a presence inside the area.
SAVE! David Luiz comes forward from midfield and goes for goal with one of his famous long-range shots. However, this one is on his left foot so lacks the usual power, and Sirigu gets down comfortably to make the save.
YELLOW CARD! The second card of the game goes to Alex for a poor challenge that saw him rake his boots right down the shin of Ramires. No complaints there.
The visitors are seeing more of the ball now, with the likes of Hazard, Oscar and Willian beginning to have an influence on the game. However, there still appears to be no way through the heart of the PSG defence, which is holding firm so far.
Quite who is playing in the forward's role for Chelsea remains a bit of a mystery. Schurrle keeps drifting back into midfield, often leaving PSG's centre-backs with nobody to mark.
SHOT! A superb ball from Ibrahimovic releases Lavezzi down the left, and he shows electric pace to get away from Cahill. The Chelsea defender does well not to dive in, however, forcing Lavezzi into a shot which slams into the side-netting. Cech had his near post covered.
PENALTY TO CHELSEA!
GOAL! PSG 1-1 Chelsea (Eden Hazard)
What a huge goal that could be for Chelsea! They get the away goal as Hazard rolls it past Sirigu from the spot, sending the keeper the wrong way with a cool spot kick. It was Silva who conceded the penalty with a moment of madness as he dived in to challenge Oscar, tripping his fellow Brazilian. The referee had no choice but to point to the spot, and Hazard made no mistake.
It must be said that Chelsea did respond very well to going behind, but they didn't look to be really threatening the PSG defence. It took a mistake from Silva to give them a way back into the match and back into the tie.
CHANCE! Lavezzi threatens again as Jallet's ball is just too high for Cavani but falls for the goalscorer. Cahill is just a yard off his man, giving Lavezzi time to turn and shoot, drawing the save from Sirigu.
YELLOW CARD! Willian is shown a yellow card by the referee for a cynical tug back on Verratti as he threatened to race away. Once again, no complaints.
Good defending from Ivanovic as he stretches to his limit to knock a cross behind for a corner. Matuidi was poised and waiting for that to arrive, so it was an important interception.
Dangerous moments for Chelsea as Azpilicueta gets up in front of Cech, flicking the ball past his own keeper towards the back post, where Ivanovic clears. Cech has come for a few crosses without success so far, which could be an area of concern for Mourinho.
UPDATE: There has also been a second goal at the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid have made it 2-0 against Dortmund through Isco. It looks to be a long way back for the Germans in that match.
Jallet is a lucky man to get away with a lunging tackle on Hazard, who had already skipped past a couple of players. Terry immediately asks for a yellow, but the referee says no. That is the first thing he has got wrong today.
Hazard is growing in confidence in this game, but he has been left on the turf a number of times in the last few minutes. Jallet has been earmarked as PSG's weakness, and the hosts are looking to nullifying that.
OFF THE POST! Chelsea are inches away from taking the lead! Willian clips the ball towards the back post where Hazard has been left unmarked, with Jallet drifting into the middle. The Belgian hits it first time on the volley, sending it back across goal and off the foot of the far post. Almost a lovely finish.
David Luiz is penalised very harshly for a supposed foul on Ibrahimovic, who had actually tried to back into the Chelsea man but missed. PSG have a free kick in a good crossing position as a result, but Cech comes out to claim it well.
PENALTY SHOUT! The hosts want a penalty of their own as Ibrahimovic peels off Terry to knock a long ball back into the box for Cavani. The latter goes down under the challenge on Cahill, who appeared to slip, but the referee says no. PSG are livid, but the referee got that one right. There was contact, but the ball had run away from Cavani.
HALF TIME: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Chelsea
The referee brings an end to a first half filled with talking points. The two sides go into the break all square, which has to go down as a positive from Chelsea following their poor start. They have clinched a crucial away goal and look capable of getting another, while PSG are also looking dangerous on the counter but have failed to build on their early opener.
That early opener came within three minutes as Chelsea got off to a nightmare start. It was John Terry's mistake as he only cleared the ball as far as Lavezzi inside the box, but nothing should be taken away from the PSG striker for his finish. He chested the ball down before smashing a brilliant half-volley into the roof of the net, off the underside of the crossbar. His technique was exquisite as the ball was slightly behind him, making his finish even tougher.
The equaliser came before the half-hour mark, and it was a mistake from Silva that led to it. The hosts appeared to be comfortable in dealing with Chelsea, who reacted well and saw plenty of the ball without really threatening. However, they were gifted the chance by a rash challenge from Silva as he brought down Oscar inside the box. It was a definite penalty, and Hazard made no mistake from 12 yards, sending the keeper the wrong way and rolling his effort into the bottom corner.
It could have been even better for Chelsea as they came within inches of getting a second away goal through Hazard five minutes before the break. Willians ball picked out the Belgian unmarked at the back post and he produced a lovely volley back across goal that came off the foot of the post with Sirigu beaten.
Had that gone in, it may well have been enough for Chelsea to go and seal the tie before the second leg. While the visitors responded really well to the setback of going behind, PSG never really reacted to the equaliser. Chelsea were just about on top for the majority of the half as the hosts failed to build upon their quick start. Is the step up in class in the Champions League too big for them to overcome?
KICKOFF: Chelsea get us back underway for a huge second 45 minutes in the French capital. It is perfectly poised for the rest of this match, and we should have another good half of football coming up.
Ramires pulls Verratti back in the middle of the field, prompting the crowd to call for a second yellow card. The referee shows common sense in not sending him off, but he can't afford too many more of them.
One thing Chelsea have done well so far is to close PSG down high up the pitch. The hosts are eager to play it out from the back, and often they have shown a little too much of the ball to Mourinho's men.
It will be interesting to see whether Mourinho decides to introduce Torres to this match at some stage. They are in no urgent need of a goal as things stand, but being able to nick one would put them in a really commanding position. Torres would have a point to prove if he comes on.
CHANCE! Big chance for the hosts to regain the lead as Lavezzi finds space inside the box to nod a cross towards goal. He gets good contact on his header but can't keep it down as it sails narrowly over the bar. Lavezzi has been PSG's most dangerous player tonight.
PSG's midfield are just dwelling on the ball for a little too long at the moment. It could be a ploy to encourage the visitors to come out more, opening space at the back, but it is coming at a risk of giving the ball away in a dangerous position.
Ibrahimovic hasn't had the impact that he would have wanted on this match so far. He has been forced to come deep on a number of occasions, but whether he is acting as playmaker or striker he is yet to really hurt the Chelsea defence. There have been glimpses, though.
Verratti comes right through the back of Hazard with a poor challenge, and he is fortunate not to be shown a yellow card. The ref has been a little lenient with a few challenges tonight, but he has got the big decisions right.
CHELSEA SUB: We are indeed going to see Torres this evening as he comes on for Schurrle, who hasn't really been much of a threat up front tonight. Can the Spaniard get the winner here?
UPDATE: Could it be tie over already in Spain? Real Madrid have made it 3-0 against Dortmund at the Bernabeu, with Cristiano Ronaldo getting the latest goal. That is his 14th Champions League goal of the season.
GOAL! PSG 2-1 Chelsea (David Luiz og)
The hosts have the lead again! Lavezzi whips a superb free kick towards the far post that the Chelsea defence can't deal with as it runs through towards the far corner. Luiz is the unfortunate man who gets the final touch as he can't get himself out of the way in time, turning it into his own net. It was Luiz who gave the cheap free kick away too, compounding the Brazilian's misery.
PSG immediately go looking for a third and threaten to get it as Ibrahimovic moves himself into a shooting position, but his well-struck effort is blocked by the defence.
Chelsea flood forward looking for another equaliser and Hazard and Torres have a two-on-one situation. The Belgian looks to slip his striker in, but Silva makes a crucial interception. He probably should have gone on his own there, Hazard.
Willian advances down the right and has time and space to pick out a man in the middle. However, he only has Torres to aim for and the Spaniard makes a different run to what Willian has in mind as PSG clear the danger.
Worrying signs for the hosts as Ibrahimovic goes down clutching the back of his leg. He receives treatment and tries to stretch it out on his way off the field, but if that is a hamstring injury then it could well be game over for the Swede.
PSG SUB: It is indeed game over for Ibrahimovic as he is unable to continue. Depending on the severity of that injury, it could also rule him out for the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which would be a big blow for PSG. On comes Lucas Moura as his replacement.
PSG are now looking to control this game with 20 minutes left. A 2-1 victory would be a good result to take to Stamford Bridge, but with Ibrahimovic looking like he could miss the second leg they will want another tonight.
Chelsea come down the right flank and Ivanovic fizzes a low ball into the box. It eventually falls for Oscar who have a shot at goal, but it turns into more of a cross that Torres can't reach ahead of the defender.
CHELSEA SUB: On comes the experience of Frank Lampard for Chelsea as the midfielder makes his 100th Champions League appearance, replacing Oscar.
Magnificent stuff from Lucas as he darts around one before beating another and poking the ball to Cavani. Unusually, Cavani's control lets him down as he can't get the ball under his spell, allowing Cahill to nick the ball. Brilliant run from Lucas, though.
PSG SUB: More bad news on the injury front for PSG as Verratti is forced off with what looks like a knee injury. He is replaced by Yohan Cabaye, who will be familiar to Chelsea from his stint at Newcastle.
Cavani goes for a snap shot from range as the ball breaks to him 25 yards from goal, but his powerful effort hits Cahill, who stands firm.
Both sides have a very difficult balance to strike here, with the next goal being potentially decisive in the tie. A 3-1 win for the hosts would be a commanding lead to take to Stamford Bridge, while two away goals would very much put Chelsea in the driving seat. We're all set for a brilliant final 10 minutes.
Some patient build-up play from PSG is ended with a poor effort from Cabaye, who goes for goal from range while off balance and leaning back. Unsurprisingly, he fires his effort well over the top and a good attacking platform is wasted.
YELLOW CARD! Motta goes into the book, but it was poor play from Alex that led to the card. The former Chelsea man gave the ball away in a dangerous area and Motta pulled Willian back to stop him taking full advantage.
Strong goalkeeping from Sirigu as he gets a good punch to a corner with Ivanovic challenging him closely but fairly. Moments later, Ivanovic does concede a free kick for an aerial challenge on Alex.
CHANCE! Big chance for PSG to get a third! Cavani gets the ball on the edge of the box and uses Maxwell's overlapping run to draw the defenders away. He then cuts inside onto his right foot before curling an effort just past the post. That was not far away, but he probably should have scored.
PSG SUB: The hosts make a change as Lavezzi, who has been brilliant tonight, makes way for Javier Pastore.
YELLOW CARDS! A flare-up right in front of the managers sees Luiz and Cavani squaring up. Blanc immediately gets involved, pulling Luiz away and handing him back to Mourinho. The ref opts to book both payers, which is the right decision.
Hazard tries a clever one-two with Lampard on the edge of the box, but the initial pass is directed at Lampard's head from short range and he can't readjust in time. It was the right idea, but Hazard didn't control his pass well enough.
The fourth official indicates a minimum of four minutes added time at the end of this match. Will we see any late drama?
Lucas whips a fine corner into the box that Motta rises really well to meet. However, he can't get enough on his header to steer it towards goal, instead just glancing it on and away from danger.
GOAL! PSG 3-1 Chelsea (Javier Pastore)
What a huge goal that could be right at the death! It is superb from Pastore as he cuts in from the right flank, beating two men on his way into the area before firing past Cech at his near post. He should have never been allowed to get into the box there, while Cech will also be unhappy with himself. That could be a decisive goal in the tie.
FULL TIME: Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Chelsea
Wow, that late goal puts a completely different complexion on this tie as PSG now have a two-goal lead to take to London for the second leg next week. Chelsea would have been comfortable enough with a 2-1 defeat, believing in themselves at Stamford Bridge, but now they face a really tough test to get back into this match. It is a devastating blow for Jose Mourinho and his side, but what a moment for PSG late on.
The hosts took the lead inside three minutes when Ezequiel Lavezzi fired a half volley into the roof of the net from inside the box after a poor clearance from Terry. Chelsea levelled before the break, however, as Hazard rolled the ball calmly in from the spot after Silva had brought down Oscar. PSG regained the lead just after the hour mark when Lavezzi's free kick forced Luiz to turn the ball into his own net, while the twinkletoes of Pastore got that all-important third in the dying stages.
That sets up a mouth-watering second leg at Stamford Bridge, and I highly doubt that Mourinho will be starting without a recognised striker there. They need to win by at least two clear goals in order to progress into the semis now, and they could also do with prevented a dangerous PSG defence from scoring.
One potentially important factor could be the likely absence of Ibrahimovic from that second leg. The PSG talisman went off injured in the second half, and it appeared to be a hamstring strain. Depending on the severity of it, he could well find himself ruled out of the Stamford Bridge encounter, which would be a huge blow for PSG.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was another thrilling night of European football as PSG take a 3-1 lead to London for the second leg at Stamford Bridge next week. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction and analysis. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
