A first-half away goal by Branislav Ivanovic and some fine goalkeeping by Thibaut Courtois put Chelsea in command of their Champions League last-16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain as Tuesday’s first leg ended 1-1.
Ivanovic headed in on 36 minutes after Gary Cahill had helped the ball into his path to give Chelsea the lead from their first and only chance of the evening at the Parc des Princes.
Edinson Cavani replied with a header of his own in the 54th minute and PSG enjoyed the bulk of the chances but Courtois intervened time and again to keep the Premier League leaders on level terms.
Jose Mourinho’s side will hold the away-goal advantage when the second leg comes around, in London on March 11. PSG will need to score in that game to keep the tie alive.
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That was something Laurent Blanc’s side failed to do when the teams met in the last eight a year ago, allowing Chelsea to go through on away goals despite losing the first leg 3-1 in France.
Seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, Chelsea are a stronger side than they were then, while PSG have been forced to deal with an injury crisis in the build-up to this game.
With Lucas, Thiago Motta and Yohan Cabaye among the players on the sidelines, Blanc opted to start David Luiz in midfield against his former club while Marquinhos lined up in central defence, despite being a doubt ahead of the game.
Chelsea were at full strength but their chief creator, Cesc Fabregas, struggled to make an impact in the match-up against the combative David Luiz.
In a cagey opening, it was the hosts who created what chances there were, with Blaise Matuidi the first to test Courtois, on 11 minutes, with a header from a Cavani cross.
The Belgian goalkeeper was equal to that effort and was called into action again seconds later to keep out a Zlatan Ibrahimovic header from a Matuidi cross.
Ibrahimovic and his fellow forwards were afforded little space in the final third and they had to wait until after the half-hour mark to trouble Courtois again, Cavani seeing his near-post header from Ezequiel Lavezzi’s corner turned behind.
Chelsea seemed happy to soak up the pressure before surprising PSG with a goal nine minutes before the interval thanks to a rare attacking combination between three of their back four, Ivanovic stealing in behind David Luiz to head home after Cahill had flicked on a Terry cross.
However, those defenders hardly covered themselves in glory as PSG drew level nine minutes after the restart, leaving Cavani unmarked to head home his 17th goal of the season — his sixth in the Champions League — from a Matuidi left-wing cross.
Down a goal at home, PSG were aggressive in the second half and Chelsea were again grateful to Courtois as he saved from Ibrahimovic before Lavezzi’s follow-up was blocked just in front of the line.
Courtois, again preferred to Petr Cech between the posts by Mourinho, then got his fingertips to a David Luiz header from a Lavezzi free-kick.
PSG’s unbeaten record at home this season did not appear under threat in the closing stages, but neither could they get the winning goal.
Cavani put a fine chance wide of the far post 10 minutes from time and, when Ibrahimovic got a header on target in stoppage time, that man Courtois was on hand yet again to save Chelsea.
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