Jose Mourinho learned a lot in Paris. Not on Tuesday night, necessarily, but a year ago. It was in this fixture in the previous campaign that this Chelsea team began to take shape. David Luiz made a mistake that got Paris Saint-Germain back into the game; Petr Cech was unconvincing in goal. Mourinho corrected both of those perceived flaws in the summer and on Tuesday night those changes paid off. Thibaut Courtois, who has taken Cech’s place as first choice goalkeeper, was quite outstanding and kept Chelsea in the match. Luiz, sold to PSG for £50million, appeared to lose Branislav Ivanovic for Chelsea’s goal. His extraordinary fee made the signings of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas possible and one imagines they will have greater influence on the outcome when these teams reconvene on March 11.
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Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic opened the scoring in the 36th minute to give his side the lead at the interval
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Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani cancelled out Ivanovic's opener in the 54th minute
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Jose Mourinho's side take small advantage back to west London due to the away goal rule
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Chelsea host PSG in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 clash on March 11
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David Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson and Michel Platini were in attendance at Parc des Princes
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG
It needed Courtois to be at his very best, and Chelsea to weather a second-half onslaught in which @placeholder found a fresh level of menace, before the sides could shake hands, honours even.
Edinson Cavani
@placeholder’s 54th-minute equaliser was not the half of it.
Chelsea
Chelsea
Chelsea
Chelsea
Chelsea
The Parc des Princes bristled with anticipation yet it is in @placeholder’s nature to prick balloons and four minutes later PSG were behind.
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho
Jose Mourinho
@placeholder stomped off, face like thunder, and sent out a team in that image.