Chelsea 2 PSG 2. (3-3)

Last updated : 11 March 2015 By Paul Lagan

Oh, no, what a way to go. Chelsea are out of the Champions League on goal difference after failing to beat Paris Saint-Germain at the Bridge tonight, instead drawing 2-2 afti extra time and going out of the competition on the away goal rule having draw in Paris 1-1.

Chelsea  did not play well and even having the a man's advantage when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was given a red card on 32m minutes, they could not dispatch a well-drilled French side.

A heartbreaking looping header from Thiago Silva six minutes from the end of added time levelled the scores after Gary Cahill had put the Blues 2-1 ahead only to see David Luiz equalise with a thunderous bullied header. Eden Hazard restored Chelsea lead three minutes into extra time from the penalty spot but could not see the game out and Silva's goal was crushing.
The early stages of the match were cliched in its chess-like play. both side determined not to concede any sloppy possession or goal.
For some reason, be known only to himself, ex-Chelsea defender David Luiz hit the deck with no one near him, clutching his chest.
Referee Bjorn Kuipers stopped the game but restarted soon after when Luiz made a remarkable recovery.
Thibaut Courtois's first involvement was a statutory catch from a high sin-swinging corner on 19 minutes as the away side attempted to force the pace a little.
Several times, on the counter attack, Chelsea looked dangerous, but offsides by Diego Costa conspired to halt the threat to the PSG goal?
The game exploded into life on the half-hour when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was red-carded for a low challenge on Oscar. The PSG players surrounded Kuipers resulting in Thiago Motta getting a yellow for dissent.
TV replays looked like both players went for the ball, but the Swede was marginally late. Oscar was soon in the book for moving the ball following a free-kick to the French side.
A sublime diving header by John Terry thwarted Edinson Cavani at the far post just as the striker was about to pounce.
Costa took an elbow in the face, on 40 minute, from Luiz in an off the ball situation, that, luckily for Luiz, the referee missed.
Costa thought he had a penalty a minute later when Cavani appeared to trip the hit,am just inside PSG's area - Kuipers thought differently.
Jose Moutinho replaced Oscar for Willian at the break.
A cheeky free-kick by the wide man almost reed dividend three minutes into the restart but Salavatore Sirigu was alert to the near-post effort.
Chelsea's early flourish came to nothing so they settle back and allowed the visitors uncontested possession, much to Mourinho's ire.
It was justified as PSG missed a sitter on 58 minutes when Cavani, on the left, skipped past Courtois, and with the goal gaping, his left-foot strike smacked off the near post and raced across the goal line before being cleared.
A spate of yellow cards followed, Costa, Luiz and Marco Verratti as a lack of concentration and frustration by the players replaced any football.
In a rare Chelsea attack, on 80 minutes, Ramires forced Sirigu into a fine near post save. From the resultant corner the ball wasn't cleared properly and Gary Cahill was in the spot from eight yards to ram the ball crisply past Sirigu to put Chelsea 2-1 up on aggregate .
Immediately PSG could have levelled through substitute Ezequiel Lavezzi's header but Courtois plucked the ball onto the palms of his hands.
But with four minutes on the clock, PSG equalised through the powerful header, of all players Luiz as he rose to meet unchallenged an inch-perfect corner.
Mourinho opted to replace largely ineffectual Ramires with Didier Drogba for the final 30 minutes of extra-time.
Chelsea were rewarded a penalty four minutes into the added time when Silva hand
Ed the ball from a Kurt Zouma challenge. Hazard cooly slotted home to put the Blues 3-2 ahead.
A sensational 45-yard free-kick by Luiz forced Courtois to tip the ball away for a corner as the visitors went for the goal that would put them through on away goals' difference.
Courtois saved Chelsea once with a fine diving save from a Silva header but could do nothing 30 seconds later and six. Injures left in the clock when, once again the inability to defend a corner allowed the PSG skipper to loop the perfect header over Courtois.
The stuffing was taken out of the Blues sails and they could not recover and it was the Frencg side who progressed into the quarter-final.


Teams: Chelsea, Courtois, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Oscar, Hazard, Costa, Matic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta
Subs, Cech, Luis, Zouma, Drogba, Remy, Willian, Cuadrado

PSG: Sirigu, Silva, Marquinhos, Motta, Cavani, Ibrahimovic, Matuidi, Maxwell, Verratti, Pastore, Luiz
Subs, douchez, Camara, Bahebeck, Digne, Lavezzi, Van der Wiel, Rabiot.

Referee, Bjorn Kuipers


Ends