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UCL Preview: Chelsea look to overturn deficit vs. PSG, Madrid attempt to finish off Dortmund

Chelsea PSG (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

It’s going to take something special for Jose Mourinho to turn this one around.

Chelsea are looking to overturn a 3-1 deficit when they host Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinals series on Tuesday. The Blues will be without the suspended Ramires, but should have a recovering Samuel Eto’o (hamstring) available for selection as they try to reach the semifinals for the seventh time in the last 11 years.

While securing goals is the primary objective, Chelsea know they can’t simply be attack-minded vs. a PSG side that will be missing the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic but still boasts plenty of quality in the attack. Finding the right balance on both sides of the ball will be paramount for the Blues, as an away goal from PSG at any point would likely see the French powerhouse advance.

In Tuesday’s other quarterfinals match, Real Madrid will head to Germany to try and finish off Borussia Dortmund. Madrid won the first leg, 3-0, and now need to avoid a massive collapse in order to move closer to their ultimate goal of lifting the Champions League title.

A boost for Dortmund is that forward Robert Lewandowski is back in the mix after missing the first leg due to suspension. As evidenced by last year’s semifinals series, Lewandowski is capable of giving Madrid’s back line fits and that will likely need to be the case if Dortmund are to have any shot at scoring three times.

Being watchful of the always-dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo is also a key component for Dortmund in this decisive leg. Ronaldo leads all players in the competition with 14 goals scored, and he will be keen on adding to that total in a match that should be wide open given Dortmund’s situation.

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Excited for these second legs or think the series’ outcomes are a foregone conclusion? Do you see Mourinho and Chelsea making a good run at a comeback? Think Madrid will easily deal with Dortmund again?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

    • Now wait just a second, Nate Dollars. Yes, it’s looking grim for the boys in yellow, a shame they did not score an away goal last week in Madrid. But we don’t know yet how easy it’s going to be for Madrid. If Madrid scores first, then yes, the fat lady will sing and Madrid will advance easily. But if Dortmund can score the first goal and either go in at half time up 1-0 or better yet up 2-0, then the second half could be interesting and certainly would not be easy for Madrid. That said, yeah, I don’t see the shaky Dortmund defense keeping a clean sheet for 120 minutes or winning 5-1. Just hoping that Dortmund can score first and that either Ramos or Pepe collect a red card early 🙂 to make the game exciting at least for a little while before Madrid drives a stake into the heart of Dortmund.

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      • for you, biff, i’ll be cheering on dortmund today. also, because i have a burning hatred for real madrid.

  1. It is possible for CFC to go 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. The away goal rule may help Chelsea go through, but with PSG firing on all cylinders, even without Zlatan, they are very formidable.

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  2. Scoring 3 goals would be more the objective for Chelsea, or scoring 2 goals plus shutting out PSG entirely (hardly an aspect to take for granted or overlook, as it might be harder than scoring 2 goals themselves). Unless I’m missing something, the only way Chelsea advances with 2 goals is with a precisely 2-0 scoreline. Otherwise they’ve got to score 3 and keep PSG out, or let 1 in and hope they can win in the extra periods or on PKs.

    Anyway, don’t think it’s going to happen, but we’ll see…

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  3. I think PSG has this one. The attack power of Pastore, Lavezzi, Moira, and Veretti ( I think that’s how you spell it) will be too much for Chelsea. The only way I see PSG losing is if the defense collapses, which I’m hoping doesn’t. I would to see PSG advance.

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