Paris Saint-Germain have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League courtesy of an away-goals victory over Chelsea.
The Ligue 1 outfit entered tonight's second leg with a slight disadvantage following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, and their hopes of progressing took another blow when star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was shown a straight red card after just 31 minutes.
Chelsea took the lead through Gary Cahill with nine minutes remaining to drive another nail into the Parisians' coffin, but former Stamford Bridge favourite David Luiz powered home a header just five minutes later to force extra time.
The game swung back in the hosts' favour six minutes into the additional period when Thiago Silva was penalised for a handball inside the box, allowing Eden Hazard to coolly roll a penalty home and restore his side's advantage.
Silva redeemed himself in the 114th minute, however, looping a header over Thibaut Courtois to make it 2-2 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate, sending the visitors through to the last eight.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a dramatic 120 minutes in West London.
Match statistics
CHELSEA
Shots: 15
On target: 6
Possession: 49%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 24
PSG
Shots: 12
On target: 6
Possession: 51%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 17
Was the result fair?
Where to start? This was a match that pretty much had it all - goals, drama and controversy aplenty. PSG looked to be up against it when Ibrahimovic was harshly sent off, and even more so when they fell behind with just nine minutes remaining, but they showed great character and spirit to never give up. The fact that they had more possession despite playing 90 minutes with 10 men speaks volumes about their efforts today, and they can rightly feel proud of themselves.
The French outfit were the better side in the first leg by some distance but found Courtois in fine form last month, only managing a 1-1 draw that tilted the tie slightly in Chelsea's favour. They were once again the better side tonight, but this time they got their just rewards - albeit via some late drama that would have added a few more grey hairs to Laurent Blanc's head. They were quicker to every ball and seemed to have far more urgency about their play in what was a niggly, spiky affair.
Had you not known otherwise, you'd have guessed that Chelsea were the team playing with 10 men for the majority of this match. PSG had all the cards dealt against them in this match but, in truth, they probably shouldn't have even needed extra time to get past the Blues. They would have felt robbed had Silva not come up with the late equaliser to atone for his earlier error, but the skipper stepped up to the plate and his side are more than worthy of their place in the quarters.
Chelsea's performance
So often in recent weeks, Chelsea have played poorly and still dug out a good result. That was the case in the first leg in Paris, but on this occasion they did not get away with it. For much of the match it looked like they might, however, and Jose Mourinho will be wondering just how his side were unable to finish the job tonight. His side had the away-goal advantage, home advantage and, for 90 minutes, the numerical advantage, yet still couldn't put PSG to bed.
They never got a hold of the game after Ibrahimovic's red card and that lack of urgency and desire to go for the kill came back to bite them in the end. They were slow and sluggish on and off the ball for the vast majority of the game, perhaps caught between two minds whether to go for a goal or defend their lead. They never managed to get into a rhythm, in part down to the fractious nature of the match, and there was always the sense that there could be a sting in the tail should Chelsea continue in their lethargic and complacent manner.
That proved to be the case, and Mourinho can have no real complaints at his side crashing out of the competition. The referee endured a torrid evening but can't be held accountable for Chelsea's showing - they only have themselves to blame. Everything was in their favour and they failed to make the most of it. Interestingly, having had a week to rest before this game and a man extra for the majority of it, it was Chelsea who tired more as the match wore on, and that will be just another concern on a miserable evening for the Blues.
PSG's performance
This was the type of performance and result that will go down in club folklore. The odds seemed stacked against PSG after Ibrahimovic's red card, and initially it looked like they may lose their heads. There were numerous flashpoints between both sets of players, and while Ibrahimovic's red was a harsh one, it is surprising that it was the only time Bjorn Kuipers sent a player from the field. It was that sort of match, yet PSG showed the greater heart, desire and fortitude to battle to the result they needed.
It certainly wasn't pretty at times, but the PSG side was full of players who answered the call to arms. Marco Verratti, Silva and Luiz are just three of the players who had a big say on the game, never taking a backward step against a Chelsea side who themselves won't shirk a challenge. PSG proved this evening that they are up for slugging it out if needs be, and that is an essential quality if they are to achieve the ultimate goal of winning the Champions League.
Whether that can happen this season remains to be seen. PSG conceded three goals to a Chelsea side that created minimal clear-cut chances over the two legs, so Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich would certainly fancy their chances, but it is certainly a step in the right direction following their heartbreak at Stamford Bridge last season. To have beaten Chelsea on away goals in their own backyard with 10 men and your star striker being the man dismissed is a remarkable achievement, and Blanc's side fully deserve all the accolades that come their way following a famous victory.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Thiago Silva: This was a difficult one to choose, but Silva gets the nod having atoned for his error with the decisive goal. The skipper was superb at the back all night and showed incredible character to recover from giving away an extra-time penalty to go up the other end and score. His handball is a fairly major blot on the copybook, but he made it irrelevant in the end.
Biggest gaffe
He may have proven to be the difference in the end, but for a while it looked like Silva would be the villain of the piece. His handball that gifted Chelsea a penalty in extra time was a moment of madness as he rose with his arms high in the air when challenging Kurt Zouma. He may not have necessarily intentionally handled it, but he could have no complaints at the referee pointing to the spot. Luckily for the captain, he had the fairytale ending as he went from zero to hero with one swing of the head.
Referee performance
Kuipers would not have had a more difficult match than this to referee for a long, long time. It was a fractious affair throughout, with plenty of separate skirmishes and individual feuds going on all over the field. Diego Costa and Luiz were involved in an ongoing battle, while Verratti was continually snapping at the heels of those in the Chelsea midfield.
The Dutch official had two major decisions to make in the first half, and he got both wrong. He was very quick to reach for his red card and send Ibrahimovic off for a challenge where a yellow would have sufficed, perhaps being influenced by the swarm of blue shirts that immediately surrounded him. Then, right at the end of the half, Chelsea should have had a penalty when Costa was tripped in the box by Edinson Cavani.
Kuipers did get the penalty decision right against Silva, but he also turned his back when Costa pushed Marquinhos over. Had the referee seen it then it may well have been a second yellow for the Chelsea striker, and in truth it is a surprise that Ibrahimovic's red was the only one. It was a tricky assignment for sure, but the referee did not cope with it well. He got the final last season but is unlikely to be invited back after this poor display in the middle.
What next?
Chelsea: Chelsea now only have the Premier League to focus on, and they will resume their league campaign at home to Southampton on Sunday.
PSG: Unlike Chelsea, PSG are playing catch-up at the top of their domestic league and will hope to keep up the chase away to Bordeaux, also on Sunday.
No Data Analysis info
