PSG vs Chelsea: Position-by-position comparison ahead of their Round of 16 clash?

Ahead of this week’s first leg in Paris, let’s have a look at both Chelsea and PSG sides and compare their strengths and weaknesses. This should be an exciting rematch of the Club World Final, and is also representing arguably PSG’s biggest test of the season so far, as it is imperative that they get the two legged tie off to a strong start in the home leg on Wednesday.

These two teams have plenty of history at this stage of the competition, producing some incredibly memorable moments.

Let’s compare each squad’s strengths and weaknesses, by position:

Which side is stronger in each position before Champions League clash?

Goalkeeper: Chelsea

Chelsea have to take this one. It’s perhaps not an area where either squad is at its strongest, with Robert Sanchez, Chelsea’s number one, having been dropped for their latest league game against Aston Villa after a poor performance against Arsenal. But PSG’s goalkeeping position is arguably the weakest of their whole side, with Lucas Chevalier, the supposed replacement for the departing Gianluigi Donnarumma, having been very quickly dropped after a difficult start to the season. His replacement, Matvey Safonov, started well, but recently has also been at fault for a number of goals conceded, as PSG’s backline looks increasingly fragile.

Overall, I’ve opted for Chelsea, as Sanchez – for all his inconsistency – has at least shown at some points of his tenure that he can be a world class goalkeeper, not least in his brilliant performance vs PSG in last summer’s Club World Cup final. It’s a close run thing, and in fairness, both sides will be looking at goalkeeper as a position to potentially improve in the near future, if there isn’t an upturn in form for their respective shot-stoppers.  

Fullbacks: PSG

From one of the weakest areas on the pitch for both teams, to one of, if not the, strongest. Reece James and Marc Cucurella would probably be a better fullback pairing than most in the world, but they find themselves up against Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, who are probably the two standout fullbacks globally over the last 12 months of football.

While both of Chelsea’s full-backs are defensively solid and can be extremely useful going forwards, they don’t offer the consistent attacking and creative threat that Mendes and Hakimi do (although Reece James’ set piece delivery is dangerous and will be something for the Parisians to be weary of). It’s an area of the pitch where both teams are strong, but where PSG just edge their London counterparts.

Centre-backs: PSG

It has to be PSG. The European Champion’s defensive form has left a little to be desire at some points this season, with both Marquinhos and Willian Pacho guilty at times of some lax defending, but Chelsea are missing their best centre half in Levi Colwill through a long term injury, and haven’t been able to find a consistent partner for Trevoh Chalobah in his absence, with Wesley Fofana also often injured. Overall Chelsea’s season has often been defined by individual errors in the centre-half department, and so despite a definite decline on PSG’s side, if you were to pick two centre backs from both team’s rosters, it would probably be Marquinhos and Pacho. Not to mention the better depth PSG have in that area, with Zabarnyi and Beraldo offering more reliable depth than Tosin and Acheampong.

Midfielders: Chelsea

12 months ago, you would have been compelled to say PSG, given that their technically brilliant midfield trio was running riot in the Champions League. Now, however, it’s a very different story, with both Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz fitness doubts for tomorrow’s first leg, and with Vitinha’s form looking far less convincing than it had been previously.

Warren Zaire-Emery who is superb this season is an able replacement, but doesn’t offer the same technical qualities as the players he is standing in for.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have got a lot of quality depth in the midfield area, with Liam Rosenior able to call on Moisés Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos and Romeo Lavia for tomorrow’s game: an extremely impressive and talented roster which will concern Luis Enrique. Were PSG’s whole midfield available and in form then this might be a different conclusion, but as of right now Chelsea have the stronger midfield heading into tomorrow’s game.

Wingers: PSG

This is an easy win for PSG. With arguably the best winger options on the planet, they boast a packed roster full of world class superstars: Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. They have struggled at times with both form and injuries this season, but overall PSG fans will believe that at least one of them will turn up in a big night in the Champions League, and on the evidence of last season, they would be extremely right to do so.

As for Chelsea, their most exciting winger prospect, Estevao, who has lit up the Champions League this season, most notably with a marvellous solo goal against Barcelona, is out injured, leaving them with Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to occupy the wide positions. While both are decent players, Chelsea fans have been frustrated with their performances this season, with Neto and Garnacho lacking the sort of end product that PSG fans will be used to seeing from their world class attacking talents.

Ask any Chelsea fan if they would swap Neto and Garnacho for any two of PSG’s four star wingers, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who would say no.

Strikers: Chelsea

A strange choice, since PSG usually start without an out and out striker – Ousmane Dembélé usually occupying the closest thing to that role in their side – but it’s only fair to give props to Joao Pedro, whose form has drastically improved in recent weeks under Liam Rosenior, and who will be Chelsea’s main focal point tomorrow night. The closest thing PSG have to a recognised number nine, Gonçalo Ramos, has never hit the heights for PSG that Pedro has now reached for the Blues.

Manager: PSG

An easy choice, as it’s really a very experienced manager against one who is new to the game. Luis Enrique is a two-time Champions League winner and has never exited the competition before the quarter final stage. For Liam Rosenior, this is his very first time even playing in the knockout stage of the competition. The young British manager does have a strong record against PSG from his time at Strasbourg, but overall it’s a fairly easy choice.

Overall:

There is little doubt that this going to be a close game. Both sides have struggled with inconsistencies this season, but both sides also feature enough star quality to hopefully ensure an entertaining encounter. If you have to split hairs, you would arguably favour PSG based on the strength and experience of their squad, although Chelsea have enough talent to worry even the most optimistic of PSG fans. Overall it should be an extremely illuminating and exciting tie, and a great watch for any neutral.