Chelsea news: Chelsea face PSG in high-stakes Champions League RO16 reunion after Club World Cup final

Chelsea are set to travel to their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final opponents, Paris Saint-Germain, and the home side will look to enact revenge on the 3-0 loss suffered at the hands of the Blues. 

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jacob Howson predicts the outcome of this heavyweight European clash. 

Head-to-head results

Aside from the recent Club World Cup final Chelsea won back in July of last year, the London side have only won one other game in the last five clashes between the two, all in the Champions League knockout stages. 

That solitary victory came back in 2014, where Jose Mourinho’s side won 2-0 in a home second leg to level the tie at 3-3, meaning Chelsea went through to the semi-final thanks to the one away goal they scored in the reverse fixture.

Since then, PSG have been the source of a few teary-eyed nights for Chelsea fans, with a Thiago Silva extra-time equaliser knocking the Blues out on away goals in 2015 and a dominant 4-2 aggregate victory in 2016 for the French side. 

The Parisians will be hoping to channel their favourable history in this tie to see them through in their first Champions League defence. 

Key players for both sides

This is a unique meeting between two teams boasting some incredibly exciting young talent, especially towards the top of the pitch, who will be looking to put their names in the headlines. 

PSG have one of the most dangerous attacks in the world at the moment, with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele currently out of favour with Luis Enrique and having to sit on the bench. 

In Dembele’s absence, there is still no shortage of quality, and the jewel of their attack must be Bradley Barcola, the 23-year-old winger-turned-striker who has grabbed 10 goals and seven assists this season. 

Behind the star-studded attack is an equally capable midfield, with the Portuguese duo of Joao Neves and Vitinha. However, the former missed their last match with an ankle injury and may miss the first leg.

Chelsea also have a plethora of attacking talent, with the Brazilian forward Joao Pedro in fantastic form, scoring five goals in his last five games, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa.

Cole Palmer, despite being in poor form recently, is still the star man in the side and is absolutely capable of turning up and taking the game away from any side, as shown in the Club World Cup final.

Both players scored in their last meeting in New York, and PSG should be ready to deal with the pair if they are hopeful of getting the advantage after the first leg.

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Recent form - Both teams struggling

Chelsea have three wins, one draw and one loss in their last five games - a mixed bag which includes games against Hull City and Wrexham, where they would be expected to win. 

Liam Rosenior recently lost his unbeaten league record as Chelsea manager after the 2-1 loss to Arsenal, and his team have recorded disappointing results against Leeds United and Burnley, but the 4-1 win against Aston Villa showed some maturity in such an important game. 

The Blues will be relieved in the fact PSG aren’t massive utilisers of set-pieces, as this has proven to be their main Achilles heel, but there are plenty of threats to overcome elsewhere. 

The Parisians have the same record in their last five games and lost their last match at home to Monaco 3-1, and are currently trying to fend off RC Lens in their Ligue 1 title race. 

The team aren’t exactly firing the same as they were towards the end of last season, as they dispatched of Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final, making the Italians look like a Sunday league side. 

PSG’s home form vs Chelsea’s away form

Newcastle managed to record a 1-1 draw at the Parc Des Princes in their final league stage game, succumbing to PSG to a play-off position for the second season in a row. 

Enrique’s side also drew 2-2 at home to Monaco in the second leg of their play-off tie, where they scraped through 5-4 on aggregate, suggesting that they are able to be knocked over at home. 

Chelsea have also enjoyed a fruitful away record this season, with seven wins, four draws and four losses in the league away from home, as well as three away FA Cup wins. 

However, the Champions League hasn’t been so kind on the road for the Blues, with just one win, two draws and two losses, meaning their home form is what carried them into the top eight. 

Chelsea always seem to turn up the heat in European knockout stages, and even if they struggle to get a result in Paris, they’ll know that Stamford Bridge is a special place under the lights. 

It should be an incredibly open and attacking 180 minutes. The winner will be the team whose attackers have made the biggest impact, and Joao Pedro’s form might be the difference maker.

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