A Night Of Might

Chelsea have an uphill task to turn around their 3-1 deficit against Paris Saint Germain tonight at Stamford Bridge as they look to book their place in the semi-finals of this season’s UEFA Champions League.

Only a novice in European football will write off any top team’s chances of a comeback as it stands, let alone the Blues who have a tactical genius in Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese built his reputation on results, and relishes every chance to remind doubters of his managerial savvy in the beautiful game.

Tonight’s game offers another big stage for Mourinho to rally his army to battle against the odds. For the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Schurrle, the challenge is a huge green terrain, yet they must play significant roles to help their club reach the final four of the elite European competitions.

PSG Laurent Blanc would rightly think his men have done at least 60% of the job in the first leg, but he has also warned them that they cannot allow Chelsea to dominate proceedings at the Bridge as they would ‘suffer’.

Blanc limited the influence of Hazard, Chelsea’s tormentor-in-chief, by ensuring that his right-back, Christophe Jallet, led a hassling of the Belgian, with Marco Verrati. Indeed it was a ploy that even involved either of Edison Cavani or Ezekiel Lavezzi in closing down the playmaker, at different times in Paris.

With Samuel Eto’o injured, it worked well as Hazard lacked the support to help foil the organised shape of the French side. The Cameroonian could make a surprise return tonight as Mourinho refused to rule him out of the game, keeping the opponents guessing. Eto’o’s ability to drop deep and run the channels can offer a different puzzle to PSG.

Lucas Moura is the most likely option to replace the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the Brazilian’s lightening pace and trickery would make an interesting battle against either of Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic. Blanc might perhaps pitch Moura to occupy the marauding Ivanovic, who is not as quick as Azpilicueta.

Cavani, as well as Lavezzi, were in the Napoli side that lost 4-1 at the Bridge in 2012 after a 3-1 first leg win in Naples, will relish his chance to play in his favoured central role. It would be recalled both players had great early chances to extend their lead before Didier Drogba’s goal began the Blues’ comeback. Chelsea must avoid such a shaky start tonight.

Cavani smells trouble and possesses the devastating persona to destroy the most difficult obstacle in a big game. He has got Thiago Motta to supply support from the centre. So David Luiz, and the centre back duo of John Terry and Gary Cahill must demonstrate a great level of concentration throughout the encounter.

Mourinho will have to decide whether to trust the industrious Ramires alongside Luiz tonight, like the first leg, or go for the experience of Frank Lampard in central midfield. Lampard could offer more craft, but Chelsea will be taking a huge risk defensively if their legendary midfielder is given the nod alongside Luiz, a makeshift option in the middle.

For Hazard, who has been constantly linked with a move to PSG (could easily be a strategy made in Paris to unsettle him), this is one of those games that could propel him to higher echelon of European football. His incredible talent is indisputable; but if he must be rated as one of the best in the game, like he dreams, the former Lille star cannot afford subdued performances in top games like tonight’s fixture.

Indeed Chelsea, will need the physical and mental might of the whole team to eliminate PSG, but Hazard will need to play a key role to make that happen. It is fair to say, at 23, he has had a decent season, yet a strong performance in this kind of stage can get him off the periphery of being regarded as a talent, rather than a top player.

We have seen the Hazard warning in sprinkles all season, it’s time Eden threw the sucker punch to claim a spot among the heavyweights.