Blues await their knockout fate: will it be Newcastle's Magpies or PSG's star-studded attack in the Champions League round of 16?
Last month, wins at home to Pafos and away to Napoli ensured that Chelsea would not have to go through the play-offs to secure their spot in the round of 16 of this season's UEFA Champions League campaign.
This was the Blues' first time in the competition since the change to the Swiss model league phase system, so it was great to avoid any hiccups or banana skins at the first time of asking.
Given how the draw is conducted, Chelsea knew their opponents would be one of these four teams: Newcastle United, Qarabag, Paris Saint-Germain, or Monaco, who were up against each other in the play-off round.
To begin, Newcastle comfortably dispatched Qarabag with an 8-3 aggregate score. A team that Chelsea drew with in the league phase, mind you, so quite an impressive achievement from the Magpies.
Then, PSG managed to overcome domestic rivals Monaco, with a 5-4 win on aggregate. There were plenty of scares during the tie - they were 2-0 down in the first leg, before winning 3-2. They were 1-0 down in the second leg too, before a Monaco red card changed everything.
Nevertheless, the Parisians are showing vulnerabilities that they did not show last season. You may think, well, they started slow last year, too, but they were clearly on track by this point of the season. They aren't now. But let's see/
So, there we have it. Chelsea will play either Newcastle or PSG in the round of 16. A reminder: if it is the former, then the Blues will face Eddie Howe's side three games in a row, with a Premier League showdown sandwiched in between the two legs. The good thing is, two of those three games will be at the Bridge.
The draw for the round of 16 will take place on Friday, the 27th of February, commencing from around 11 am GMT/06:00 ET. For those in the UK, the draw will be shown live on TNT Sports, UEFA.com, and the official UEFA app.
As for the ties themselves, the first legs will be on the 10th and 11th of March, whilst the second legs will take place on the 17th and 18th of March. Remember, Chelsea will be at home in the second leg, thanks to finishing in the top eight of the league phase.
Very exciting stuff. Let's wait and see who it is Chelsea will get.
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