Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has praised interim manager Guus Hiddink for allowing the team to play with freedom.

The Blues went on an 11-match unbeaten run after Hiddink was installed at Stamford Bridge as a temporary replacement for Jose Mourinho in December.

The run came to an end on Tuesday night when Paris Saint-Germain sealed a 2-1 win over the Blues in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League meeting at Parc des Princes.

Mikel, who replaced Nemanja Matic in the team, scored a crucial away goal ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which will take place on March 9.

"Guus has come in again and settled things," The Telegraph quotes Mikel as saying. "Players feel free to play and free to have responsibility and thrive on responsibility, but do it in a very relaxed way, which is sometimes what players need. Guus has come in and done that. We're picking up results in the League and we're very much in this tie.

"We've been through a difficult period, no doubt about it, but Guus has come in and settled the ship and now we're picking up results, and doing really well back home in the league. This was the first game under Guus in the Champions League and we're still very much alive."

In the league, Chelsea are currently 12th in the table.