A goalkeeping howler from Chelsea’s Filip Jørgensen and a late brace by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia handed title-holders Paris Saint-Germain a commanding 5-2 victory over the west London side on Wednesday.
The Champions League last-16 first leg at the Parc des Princes appeared destined for a draw after Chelsea twice fought back from behind. However, a late collapse means the reigning European champions have one foot in the quarter-finals ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday.
A back-and-forth battle
PSG started with intent, taking the lead in the 10th minute through Bradley Barcola, who smashed a strike off the underside of the crossbar. Chelsea responded on Wednesday evening when Malo Gusto’s shot squirmed past PSG’s Matvei Safonov, who was preferred in goal following the club’s decision to sell Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Ousmane Dembélé restored the hosts’ lead just before the interval with a deflected strike, only for Enzo Fernández to level the scores at 2-2 as the hour mark approached.
Jørgensen’s gift
The momentum shifted decisively in the 74th minute when Jørgensen, selected over Robert Sánchez by new manager Liam Rosenior, played a careless pass directly to Barcola. The Frenchman intercepted, allowing Vitinha to lob the stranded goalkeeper with a delightful finish.
The substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia then took centre stage. The Georgian international smashed home a superb fourth in the 86th minute before adding a fifth in stoppage time from an Achraf Hakimi assist, completing a night of misery for the visitors.
Revenge for the Blues’ summer success
The result offers PSG a measure of revenge following their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in last July’s Club World Cup final. While Rosenior has enjoyed a promising start since succeeding Enzo Maresca in January, he now faces a monumental task to avoid an early European exit.
Luis Enrique’s side, which has struggled for domestic consistency and currently sits just one point ahead of Lens in Ligue 1, appeared to rediscover the hunger that saw them overcome three Premier League sides on their way to the trophy last season.
