Blue night in Paris — Chelsea visits the champions’ nest
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 11.03.26. | 14:52
Champions League holders PSG welcome Chelsea to their home ground, a team capable of causing an upset at any moment
Chelsea face a stern test against reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last-16 tie at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
The sides meet for the first time since last summer’s 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in the United States, where Cole Palmer inspired Chelsea to a 3–0 triumph. Just like last season, when PSG captured their first Champions League title, the Parisians failed to secure automatic qualification for the knockout stage this term, finishing 11th in the league phase and forced into the playoff round.
Their recent form saw points dropped against Athletic Bilbao (0–0), Sporting Lisbon (2–1) and Newcastle United (1–1), before a tense playoff against Monaco, which ended 5–4 on aggregate after a 2–2 draw in the second leg.
PSG’s Ligue 1 form has been mixed since. They claimed a narrow 1–0 away win at Le Havre but followed that with a 3–1 home defeat to Monaco — their second league loss in two months — allowing second-placed Lens to cut the gap at the top to a single point with nine games remaining.
With no domestic fixture against Nantes this weekend, PSG can now focus entirely on their 14th consecutive Champions League last-16 campaign, aiming to win a two-legged European tie for the sixth straight season.
The French side have lost just one of their last eight UEFA matches against English clubs (W5 D2) and have triumphed in their previous three knockout ties against Premier League sides, all in last season’s Champions League, eliminating Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal en route to the final.
Chelsea are one of six English clubs in this season’s last 16, having finished sixth in the 36-team league phase with five wins, one draw and two losses from eight games. Since coming from behind to beat Napoli 3–2 on matchday eight in late January, the Blues have won five of their last nine matches across three domestic competitions (D2 L2), including a 4–1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa and a 4–2 extra-time FA Cup fifth-round win against Wrexham on Saturday.
PSG will be without Fabian Ruiz (knee) and Quentin Ndjantou (hamstring), while Joao Neves is progressing from an ankle injury and may feature pending a late fitness check. Coach Luis Enrique must decide whether to recall captain Marquinhos, unused in the last two matches, or retain Illia Zabarnyi and William Pacho at centre-back.
Ousmane Dembele returned as a second-half substitute in PSG’s last Ligue 1 game after missing three fixtures with a calf problem. He has 11 goals this season — joint-top for the team — and could start alongside Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Chelsea have several absentees: Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens (both hamstring), Levi Colwill (ACL) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), while Wesley Fofana (thigh) is expected to return alongside Trevoh Chalobah in central defence.
Midfield options include Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos, both a booking away from suspension, likely to operate alongside Moises Caicedo, with Palmer possibly deployed on the right if starting in a more advanced role.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - ROUND OF 16
Tuesday
Galatasaray - Liverpool 1-0 (1-0)
/Lemina 7/
Atalanta - Bayern Munich 1-6 (0-3)
/Pasalic 90+3 - Stanisic 12, Olise 22, 64, Gnabry 25, Jackson 52, Musiala 67/
Atletico Madrid - Tottenham 5-2 (4-1)
/Llorente 6, Griezmann 14, Alvarez 15, 55, Le Normand 22 - Porro 26, Solanke 76/
Newcastle - Barcelona 1-1 (0-0)
/Barnes 86 - Yamal 90+6 pen/
Wednesday
20.45: (5.65) Leverkusen (4.30) Arsenal (1.62)
23.00: (2.60) Bodo (3.80) Sporting (2.65)
23.00: (2.00) PSG (3.60) Chelsea (4.00)
23.00: (3.50) Real Madrid (3.90) Man.City (2.05)
***odds are subject to change***