The first game in the current batch of Champions League ties looked to be a pretty good competition, with the leaders in England taking on the team in third place in France. The away team did have some good news as Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas returned to the team as well.
The game had a slow and nervy start to it, with both sides trying to get a feel of the game. Neither team was moving forward with any pace nor could they create any chances when they did start to push the ball up the field. It took until the 11th minute for Paris Saint Germain to finally create the first two clear cut chances of the game. It started with a powerful header from Blaise Matuidi which Thibaut Courtois palmed away, but he couldn't clear it. The second header came from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the ball bounced in front of the keeper and he was able to collect the ball easily.
These chances seemed to wake up Chelsea and they began to push forward with more meaning and pace. They still didn't look likely to get on the score sheet, but Eden Hazard was proving to be a big asset to the team as PSG were not willing to press him when he had the ball at his feet.
PSG still looked the more likely to get a goal though and were creating a lot more chances. Ezequiel Lavezzi had a chance with a header on 23 minutes but the ball bounced off the top of his head, not really testing Courtois in the end. Two minutes later, Ibrahimovic led the PSG counter attack but a poor pass from Matuidi to Edinson Cavani almost stopped the move. However, they did eventually manage to get a cross into the box which Courtois claimed. This started a quick counter for the Chelsea team now and the ball ended up with Hazard on the right wing. His curling cross almost proved to be difficult to deal with for Salvatore Sirigu, but he caught it and prevented any of the Chelsea players coming in behind him from having the chance to attack the ball.
Both teams began to create more chances as the half came to an end. Gregory Van der Wiel managed to get in behind Cesar Azpilicueta but Gary Cahill was on hand to clear the ball out of the box. Not long after, Hazard won a free kick in a dangerous position after he was fouled. Fabregas took the set piece but couldn't find a Chelsea player in the box. Instead of quickly putting the second ball into the box, Chelsea played the ball around the box and the move was quickly cut out by PSG. Up at the other end, PSG had a corner taken by Lavezzi and Cavani manages to lose his man and direct his header towards the near post, but Courtois was there to meet it.
It took until the 36th minute for the first goal of the game to come, and it was very much against the run of play. After a set piece, the ball ended up with John Terry on the left wing. He crossed the ball into the box and Cahill met it, placing a slight flick in front of Branislav Ivanovic, who directed his header into the back of the net. This gave Chelsea the slight advantage in the tie as now they had not only the lead, but the away goal that could prove to be all important in the second leg.
PSG had a lot of possession following the Chelsea goal, but they weren't able to get the ball to the forward players or anywhere near the Chelsea defence. Even though they couldn't get on the ball, the Chelsea players were pressing PSG and forcing them to play the ball square or backwards so that they weren't a threat on their goal. On the stroke of half time, Ibrahimovic took a free kick from just outside the box. The shot was aimed for the top far corner but was already soaring over the crossbar, although Courtois did have that side of his goal covered.
The first half proved to be good for Chelsea in the end, but if the end of the first half was anything to go by, they weren't in for an easy ride in the second half. This proved to be true as none of the Chelsea players could get on the ball in the opening minutes of the second half, but again they pressed PSG so that they couldn't get into any dangerous positions on the pitch. When they did get on the ball, Hazard was once again proving to be the danger man, drawing in the fouls and his first thought was to get the ball forward.
Then, on 54 minutes, PSG's hard work paid off for them. A brilliant cross into the box from Matuidi took out the defender marking him and found Cavani on the edge of the six yard box where he had a free header that he directed into the back of the net. From a Chelsea point of view, it was a poor goal to concede. Cavani had a lot of space around him, when he could have been closed down by any of the three defenders around him.
On the hour mark, PSG were still pushing forward, this time with Ibrahimovic forcing his way into the box. His low shot was dealt with by Courtois, but he could only clear it to another PSG in the box, meaning that he had taken himself out of the game. Lavezzi was the player on the end of the second ball but his shot was first deflected off Terry and then blocked by an unsuspecting Azpilicueta, who was simply in the right place at the right time. A free kick from Lavezzi not long after landed with David Luiz who's header bounced just over the cross bar. PSG were looking dangerous in their search for the winning goal.
Cavani came close again close to full time. He was quickly being closed down by the Chelsea defenders and the keeper, but he still managed to push his shot towards goal, but the shot was inches wide of the far post much to the Chelsea players' relief. PSG also had the last chance of the game deep into stoppage time after a deflected cross came to Ibrahimovic. His header forced Courtois to make a brilliant save, meaning the score line stayed at 1-1 going into the second leg tie at Stamford Bridge in three weeks time.
The game had a slow and nervy start to it, with both sides trying to get a feel of the game. Neither team was moving forward with any pace nor could they create any chances when they did start to push the ball up the field. It took until the 11th minute for Paris Saint Germain to finally create the first two clear cut chances of the game. It started with a powerful header from Blaise Matuidi which Thibaut Courtois palmed away, but he couldn't clear it. The second header came from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the ball bounced in front of the keeper and he was able to collect the ball easily.
These chances seemed to wake up Chelsea and they began to push forward with more meaning and pace. They still didn't look likely to get on the score sheet, but Eden Hazard was proving to be a big asset to the team as PSG were not willing to press him when he had the ball at his feet.
PSG still looked the more likely to get a goal though and were creating a lot more chances. Ezequiel Lavezzi had a chance with a header on 23 minutes but the ball bounced off the top of his head, not really testing Courtois in the end. Two minutes later, Ibrahimovic led the PSG counter attack but a poor pass from Matuidi to Edinson Cavani almost stopped the move. However, they did eventually manage to get a cross into the box which Courtois claimed. This started a quick counter for the Chelsea team now and the ball ended up with Hazard on the right wing. His curling cross almost proved to be difficult to deal with for Salvatore Sirigu, but he caught it and prevented any of the Chelsea players coming in behind him from having the chance to attack the ball.
Both teams began to create more chances as the half came to an end. Gregory Van der Wiel managed to get in behind Cesar Azpilicueta but Gary Cahill was on hand to clear the ball out of the box. Not long after, Hazard won a free kick in a dangerous position after he was fouled. Fabregas took the set piece but couldn't find a Chelsea player in the box. Instead of quickly putting the second ball into the box, Chelsea played the ball around the box and the move was quickly cut out by PSG. Up at the other end, PSG had a corner taken by Lavezzi and Cavani manages to lose his man and direct his header towards the near post, but Courtois was there to meet it.
It took until the 36th minute for the first goal of the game to come, and it was very much against the run of play. After a set piece, the ball ended up with John Terry on the left wing. He crossed the ball into the box and Cahill met it, placing a slight flick in front of Branislav Ivanovic, who directed his header into the back of the net. This gave Chelsea the slight advantage in the tie as now they had not only the lead, but the away goal that could prove to be all important in the second leg.
PSG had a lot of possession following the Chelsea goal, but they weren't able to get the ball to the forward players or anywhere near the Chelsea defence. Even though they couldn't get on the ball, the Chelsea players were pressing PSG and forcing them to play the ball square or backwards so that they weren't a threat on their goal. On the stroke of half time, Ibrahimovic took a free kick from just outside the box. The shot was aimed for the top far corner but was already soaring over the crossbar, although Courtois did have that side of his goal covered.
The first half proved to be good for Chelsea in the end, but if the end of the first half was anything to go by, they weren't in for an easy ride in the second half. This proved to be true as none of the Chelsea players could get on the ball in the opening minutes of the second half, but again they pressed PSG so that they couldn't get into any dangerous positions on the pitch. When they did get on the ball, Hazard was once again proving to be the danger man, drawing in the fouls and his first thought was to get the ball forward.
Then, on 54 minutes, PSG's hard work paid off for them. A brilliant cross into the box from Matuidi took out the defender marking him and found Cavani on the edge of the six yard box where he had a free header that he directed into the back of the net. From a Chelsea point of view, it was a poor goal to concede. Cavani had a lot of space around him, when he could have been closed down by any of the three defenders around him.
On the hour mark, PSG were still pushing forward, this time with Ibrahimovic forcing his way into the box. His low shot was dealt with by Courtois, but he could only clear it to another PSG in the box, meaning that he had taken himself out of the game. Lavezzi was the player on the end of the second ball but his shot was first deflected off Terry and then blocked by an unsuspecting Azpilicueta, who was simply in the right place at the right time. A free kick from Lavezzi not long after landed with David Luiz who's header bounced just over the cross bar. PSG were looking dangerous in their search for the winning goal.
Cavani came close again close to full time. He was quickly being closed down by the Chelsea defenders and the keeper, but he still managed to push his shot towards goal, but the shot was inches wide of the far post much to the Chelsea players' relief. PSG also had the last chance of the game deep into stoppage time after a deflected cross came to Ibrahimovic. His header forced Courtois to make a brilliant save, meaning the score line stayed at 1-1 going into the second leg tie at Stamford Bridge in three weeks time.
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