Chelsea braces for a PSG rematch, recalling a dominant Club World Cup victory. The Blues insist they fear no one in this high-stakes European showdown.
PSG seeks to successfully defend its European crown after easily getting past Inter in Munich last May. Goals from Achraf Hakimi, Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Senny Mayulu gave the French giant a resounding 5-0 victory over its Italian counterpart at the Allianz Arena.
Luis Enrique's team had to work hard to advance to the round of 16 after being paired with Monaco in the playoff. PSG won 3-2 at the Stade Louis II last week and drew 2-2 with its Ligue 1 rival at the Parc des Princes, which earned it a 5-4 aggregate victory and advanced it to the next round of the elite European competition.
PSG will renew its rivalry with Chelsea, facing the Premier League team for the first time since the Club World Cup final in July. Two goals from Cole Palmer and one from Joao Pedro gave the west London side a 3-0 victory at MetLife Stadium last summer.
Chelsea secured a spot in the top eight on the final matchday of the Champions League group stage, coming from behind to beat Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Chelsea sporting director David Barnard insists the round-of-16 match will be a test for the club but holds no fear for Liam Rosenior's team.
After the draw, Barnard said, "We've played PSG on numerous occasions. They're the current champions, but people will probably remember what happened in the summer at the Club World Cup. It will be difficult, but it doesn't scare us."
"You can look at the bracket, but you can't take anything for granted."
Chelsea has had luck in the Champions League draw. The winner of the match against PSG will face Galatasaray or Liverpool in the quarterfinals, as the Turkish team advanced to the round of 16 after beating Juventus 7-5 this week.
And if PSG or Chelsea manage to advance to the semifinals, a meeting with Real Madrid, Manchester City, Atalanta, or Bayern Munich awaits them.
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