Chelsea could be facing one of Monaco or PSG in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, however on the evidence of their play-off first leg the Blues have nothing to worry about.
Liam Rosenior steered Chelsea to a sixth-placed finish in the group stages, meaning they avoided a two-legged play-off.
The Blues will face one of Monaco, PSG, Newcastle or Qarabag in the next round, with the highlight potential tie being against the current Champions League holders.
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Luis Enrique’s side beat their Ligue 1 rivals 3-2 away from home in the first leg, however the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story of a game where they struggled for large portions.
Chelsea have nothing to fear about PSG if they draw them in the Champions League Round of 16
Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images
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In fact, PSG were 2-0 down in the first half after two goals from Folarin Balogun, and looked in trouble when Ousmane Dembele was forced off with an injury.
With the game at 2-1, Monaco midfielder Aleksandr Golovin saw red early in the second half, really putting a dent in their chances at what would have been a huge first leg victory.
Goals from Achraf Hakimi and a second for substitute Desire Doue saw them complete the turnaround, however their wastefulness in front of goal won’t have gone unnoticed by Chelsea supporters.
PSG ended up taking 30 shots as they made the man advantage tell, however plenty of those were from long range with very little chance of going in.
The prospect on paper of facing PSG should be intimidating, however Chelsea have recent history on their side when it comes to this meeting.
Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo vs PSG's Ousmane Dembele
Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images
Chelsea have history on their side against PSG
Very few gave Chelsea a chance when they faced PSG in the Club World Cup final in July, however it was the Blues who dominated on that night.
Cole Palmer’s brace and Joao Pedro’s third goal for the club put them 3-0 up before half-time, a scoreline they protected in the second half.
Enzo Maresca won’t be in charge this time around, however Rosenior can also take confidence from the fact he has already gotten the better of them during his time at Strasbourg.
There will be equally as much attention on Wednesday’s play-off, with Newcastle and Qarabag amongst the potential opponents too.
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