Paris Saint-Germain snuffed out any chance of a Chelsea comeback with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia among the scorers in a clinical 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday which took the holders through to the Champions League quarter-finals 8-2 on aggregate.
The Georgian’s early opener was soon followed by a brilliant Bradley Barcola strike, quickly ending Chelsea’s hopes of turning around their 5-2 deficit from the first leg of the last 16 tie last week.
Substitute Senny Mayulu then fired in PSG’s third in the second half, as Luis Enrique’s men march on to a last-eight tie next month against either Liverpool or Galatasaray — the Turkish side go to Anfield with a 1-0 first-leg advantage on Wednesday.
PSG’s dream of retaining the Champions League title remains very much alive, a year after winning the trophy for the first time in their history.
The Qatar-backed side’s comprehensive victory in this tie gives them revenge for their loss to the Blues in last July’s Club World Cup final, and indicates that they might be finding their very best form again at just the right time.
This was their fourth win in a two-legged knockout tie against Premier League opposition since the start of last year, but while that record is impressive, Chelsea looked a long way short of the level required in Europe’s elite club competition.
Liam Rosenior’s team never really appeared to believe they could come back from their collapse six days ago at the Parc des Princes, when they conceded three late goals to go from 2-2 to 5-2 down.
Their attention will now turn back to the fight to qualify for the Champions League again next season, after a miserable week in which two defeats against PSG have come either side of a loss at home to Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Robert Sanchez started in goal here, as he had done at the weekend, after Filip Jorgensen replaced the Spaniard and was at fault for PSG’s crucial third goal in the first leg.
– No chance –
PSG, meanwhile, gave a start to Kvaratskhelia after he came off the bench to score a late double in Paris which swung the tie decisively his team’s way.
The Parisians also made the trip undoubtedly feeling fresher after their scheduled weekend Ligue 1 game against Nantes was called off to aid their preparations.
Within six minutes here they were ahead as Mamadou Sarr — making his Champions League debut — misjudged a long kick downfield from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and Kvaratskhelia outmuscled the young Chelsea defender before beating Sanchez.
The second goal came on the quarter-hour, with Warren Zaire-Emery supplying Achraf Hakimi on the right and the Moroccan finding Barcola who controlled on the edge of the box before sending a superb strike into the top-left corner.
The tie was as good as over at that point, and home fans began flooding for the exits when the third goal arrived just after the hour mark.
Kvaratskhelia did the spadework this time down the left before his ball into the middle fell to Mayulu — the 19-year-old, who replaced Joao Neves at half-time, gave Sanchez no chance with a lethal first-time strike.
A miserable evening for Chelsea was then compounded when Trevoh Chalobah was stretchered off late on, leaving the hosts to finish the game with 10 men as they had used all their substitutes.
