Tuesday 8th
April from Stamford Bridge:
Chelsea 2 – 0 PSG
So we were 3-1 down after a first-leg disaster against the
likes of Cavani and Levezzi – we’ve seen this before. Yet we had an important
away goal and with that we had hope, after all, we’ve done this before. The key
to the Napoli comeback was scoring early and I knew that we had to do it again
if we were going to go through. Gary Neville famously said that he felt something
special was happening in 2012, progressing past this PSG deficit would bring
that feeling rushing straight back to Stamford Bridge.
Azpilicueta has been player of the season for
me this year, with Eden Hazard a close second. Yet, if we were to going to get
back into this tie, you’d be relying on the little Belgian in front of the
makeshift left back. The hope lied somewhat in Hazard’s creativity, but that
hope disappeared in the 17th minute when he left the contest through
Injury. Enter Andre Schurrle, who has been very Kalou-like in his first season
at Chelsea.
A long throw, a flick on by David Luiz and smashed in
clinically by… the German super sub! The early disaster of Hazard’s departure
had more than a sliver lining and we were 1-0 up at half time. The game was
well and truly on! The second half began and the crowd were buzzing, knowing we
only needed 1 more goal and spurred on continuously by the memories of 2012 –
roaring that we’d done this before.
It felt like we would have 2 more chances. Gary Cahill has
been fantastic all season, but couldn’t smash in what would have been a carbon
copy of his goal against Galatasaray. Then Eto’o laid off a beautiful ball to Schurrle
who smashed the crossbar. Then Eto’o again won a free kick in a dangerous
position, only for Oscar to smash the crossbar again. This didn’t happen in
2012! Hope began to fade out into the
noise of the jubilant away support.
Chelsea pushed and pushed, yet were not too susceptible to
the PSG counter – although Cavani did blunder a glorious opportunity. Then,
with 3 minutes to go, Eto’o dragged a shot into the path of Demba Ba and the
ball seemed to hit his every limb before looping into the goal. Euphoria!
Mourinho galloped down the touchline to talk to the players and we saw out 3
late corners to win the tie. We’ve done this before; we’re doing it again.
Bring on the semi-finals.
