Paris Saint-Germain will face Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. The match revives a rivalry from last summer's Club World Cup final, where Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory. Both teams enter with mixed recent form, aiming to advance toward the quarter-finals.
The Champions League round of 16 begins with high anticipation as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) hosts Chelsea at the Parc des Princes. This two-legged tie marks the teams' first European meeting since Chelsea's 3-0 win in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in the United States, inspired by Cole Palmer.
PSG, the defending Champions League champions, entered the knockout stage via playoffs after finishing 11th in the 36-team League Phase. They overcame Monaco 5-4 on aggregate, including a 2-2 home draw, but recent Ligue 1 results have been inconsistent: a 1-0 away win over Le Havre followed by a 3-1 home defeat to Monaco, narrowing their lead at the top to one point. Coach Luis Enrique described the situation as 'difficult,' admitting, 'We made mistakes, many mistakes, on the part of different players. This is the key moment of the season, but it's up to us to change that, to regain confidence.' He noted mental challenges, saying, 'Clearly (it is a mental problem), when there are problems, it's your head that disconnects first.' PSG have lost only one of their last eight games against English sides in UEFA competitions (W5 D2) and won their last three two-legged ties against Premier League teams last season.
Chelsea, finishing sixth in the League Phase, advanced directly to the last 16. Under coach Liam Rosenior, they have won five of their last nine games across competitions (D2 L2), including a 3-2 comeback against Napoli, a 4-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa, and a 4-2 extra-time win over Wrexham in the FA Cup. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez expressed ambition, stating, 'My dream is to win the Champions League with the club.' Alejandro Garnacho added confidence, saying, 'We have a team to win, so we will try to do that,' after calling the Wrexham match 'one of our hardest games of the season.' Chelsea have won their last six UEFA games against French opposition.
Team news sees PSG without Fabian Ruiz (knee) and Quentin Ndjantou (hamstring); Joao Neves may return from an ankle injury, and Ousmane Dembele is back from a calf issue. Chelsea misses Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens (hamstring), Levi Colwill (ACL), and Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), but Wesley Fofana could return. Possible PSG lineup: Safonov; Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Zaire-Emery; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia. Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Pedro.
Sports Mole predicts a 2-2 draw, noting both sides' attacking styles and PSG's 58-game streak without a goalless Champions League knockout draw. The winners face either Liverpool or Galatasaray next.
