Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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The final 15 minutes of the first-leg have all but ended Chelsea’s chances but the Blues must show some fight as they welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Stamford Bridge.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / USA – Paramount+
Chelsea preview: Feeling the Blues
At the weekend, Chelsea succumbed to a 1-0 loss at home to Newcastle United and the Blues have begun to hit a major bumpy pitch in the still early stages of the Liam Rosenior reign in west London.
That defeat means that the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup winners, a trophy that they won by beating PSG in the final in New York, have won just two matches inside 90 minutes in their last eight games across all competitions.
Paris Saint-Germain preview: Dip in form
In the first-leg of this round of 16 tie, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain managed to win by five goals to two with three of those strikes coming late on, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia making a potentially decisive contribution to the tie.
PSG are in an excellent position to reach the quarter-finals but the Parisians do remain some way off their standard from around this time last year – and there is speculation that Luis Enrique will depart this summer.
Chelsea team news: Neto avoids ban
On the eve of this second-leg, it was eventually confirmed by UEFA that Portugal international winger Pedro Neto had avoided punishment for an altercation with a ballboy in Paris last week.
Chelsea have issues at right-back, too, with Reece James having now been ruled out and Malo Gusto, his usual understudy, a doubt due to illness.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Garnacho; Pedro
Unavailable: Jorgensen (Injured), Colwill (Fitness), James (Injured), Mudryk (Disciplinary)
Questionable: Gusto (Illness), Gittens (Injured)
Paris Saint-Germain team news: Kvaratskhelia likely to start
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored a tie-defining brace with two late goals last week and he is expected to start this time, with one of Bradley Barcola or Desite Doue to move out of the eleven.
It could be an extremely attacking side with Doue sliding into the middle of the park but Warren Zaire-Emery is expected to start alongside Portuguese duo Vitinha and Joao Neves.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Barcola, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Unavailable: Ndjantou (Injured), Ruiz (Injured)
Questionable:
Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain prediction
Liam Rosenior’s era at Stamford Bridge is 17 matches old. Chelsea have won nine games inside 90 minutes in that time. Two of those have come against Championship opposition in the FA Cup, two have come in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League against Pafos and Napoli, who both failed to finish in the top 24. Two have come against teams in the bottom three of the Premier League, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. It actually isn’t unreasonable to suggest his 17-game stint has produced one convincing performance and victory – a recent 4-1 win against Aston Villa, and even that saw them need to come from behind and be very fortunate to not go 2-1 down, courtesy of VAR, just before half-time. Now they must come from three down against the European champions – who will be more than content to pick them off quite handily.
Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain Tip: Paris Saint-Germain to win
