Chelsea are knocked out by 10-man PSG

Chelsea 2 Paris St-Germain 2 (After extra time)
3-3 on aggregate – PSG win on away goals


Paris St-Germain, reduced to 10 men after the controversial first-half sending-off Zlatan Ibrahimovic, won on away goals to send Chelsea tumbling out of the Champions League.

Thiago Silva’s header four minutes from the end of extra time clinched a stunning victory for the French side, who thoroughly deserved to go through.

They caused below-par Chelsea problems before Gary Cahill scored in the 81st minute.

Ex-Chelsea man David Luiz equalised against his former club six minutes later but Jose Mourinho’s side regained the lead when Eden Hazard netted from the penalty spot following Thiago Silva’s handball.

But the PSG defender redeemed himself by scoring the goal which took his team in to the quarter-finals.

Chelsea’s away goal, scored by Branislav Ivanovic in the 1-1 draw in the first leg in Paris, meant they began the night in a strong position, knowing a goalless draw would be enough to take them through.

Their position seemed to be further strengthened when PSG talisman Ibrahimovic was dismissed.

Chelsea players instantly urged referee Bjorn Kuipers to send Ibrahimovic off following the Swede’s poorly-timed challenge on Oscar and the official obliged, producing the red card and seemingly leaving the visitors facing a mammoth task.

That task might have become even larger had Kuipers awarded Chelsea a penalty when Diego Costa was sent tumbling in the box by Edinson Cavani.

Instead he waved play on and Chelsea struggled after the break despite their numerical advantage.

They had a lucky escape when Cavani rounded keeper Thibaut Courtois only to fire against the inside of the post from a slightly awkward angle.

Courtois then produced a fine save to keep out Javier Pastore’s drive and Chelsea were clinging on before scoring when PSG failed to clear a corner and Costa’s miscued effort dropped to Cahill, who blasted home on the half-volley.

The French side levelled when Ezequiel Lavezzi’s right-wing corner was powerfully headed in by Luiz.

Their good work was undone, however, by a daft handball by Thiago Silva five minutes into extra time.

The Brazilian inexplicably left his arm in the air as he went up for a header with Chelsea substitute Kurt Zouma and Hazard coolly tucked away the resulting spot-kick.

PSG hit back again, though. Thiago Silva saw a header brilliantly saved by Courtois but seconds later he climbed above John Terry and planted the ball into the far corner of the net.

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic (Zouma 84); Ramires (Drogba 90), Oscar (Willian 45), Hazard; Diego Costa.
Subs: Cech, Filipe Luis, Cuadrado, Remy.

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