This is a repeat of last season’s quarterfinal which saw Chelsea progress on away goals. Paris Saint-Germain had won the first leg 3-1 at home before losing 0-2 away; a similar result in Paris looks unlikely as the host has struggled in recent weeks.
Although Laurent Blanc’s men remain only two points behind Ligue 1 leader Olympique Lyonnais, their performances lack the dominance of old.
A host of injury concerns will only increase the worries for PSG. Yohan Cabaye, Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura are definitely out with injuries, while Marquinhos, Blaise Matuidi and Javier Pastore are doubtful for Tuesday’s clash.
However, after missing the 2-2 draw with Caen at the weekend, Edinson Cavani, Thiago Motta and Adrien Rabiot are expected to return to the side.
Despite the possible absence of the doubtful players, PSG is expected to persist with a 4-3-3 setup that will feature Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Cavani at the front. The midfield will be comprised of Motta, Rabiot and Marco Verratti.
Chelsea, contrastingly, has its first-choice eleven at its disposal. The squad will be fresh too as the Blues had the weekend off thanks to their early exit from the FA Cup. Jose Mourinho is once again expected to field the side in a 4-2-3-1 system. Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic will start as the double pivot; when the duo plays well, Chelsea inevitably does well.
Kurt Zouma is expected to keep his spot in central defence ahead of Gary Cahill while Diego Costa should return to the eleven as his three-match domestic suspension is over.
