Why Chelsea are ready to hit top gear heading into crunch PSG Champions League showdown

Chelsea travel to holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday for the first leg of their  Champions League  Last-16 tie.

Liam Rosenior’s men head to the French capital in buoyant mood after thumping Aston Villa in the Premier League and then beating Wrexham to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals. 

Here,  DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall analyses the Blues’ form as they bid to negotiate a way past PSG and reach the quarter-finals.

Rosenior patiently writing a new chapter at Stamford Bridge

Eyebrows were raised when Chelsea turned to the then Strasbourg boss after parting company with Enzo Maresca in early January.

Rosenior, 41, was handed a six-and-a-half-year deal by the BlueCo investment group who own Strasbourg and Chelsea.

His previous job in English football management ended in the sack at Hull City after they failed to make the Championship play-offs during the 2023-24 campaign.

Nevertheless, Rosenior impressed during his time at France and has not looked out of place at Stamford Bridge either.

Since taking charge, he has an impressive record of 10 wins, two draws and three losses, a sequence which has taken Chelsea into the FA Cup quarter-finals and the last 16 of the Champions League while they lie fifth in the Premier League.

Following his appointment, Rosenior’s former team-mate and Hull captain Curtis Davies told DAZN News: “We were in our early thirties when we played together at Hull City.

“Liam would be on the bus reading books by Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho and anything else he could get his hands on.

“After being sacked by Hull, though, did anyone think Liam would be taking charge of Chelsea 18 months later?

• Relentless drive, ambition and Pep Guardiola inspiration: Liam Rosenior's rise to the top at Chelsea 

“Not in a million years. Liam’s a realist, but also an optimist and I know how driven he is.

“I saw that when we played together at Hull before he coached me at Derby.

“His time at Strasbourg went really well and to see him as Chelsea manager now makes me immensely proud.

“Hopefully he wins everything at Chelsea and establishes himself as a top manager. Liam could definitely go on and manage England.”

The Three Lions, however, can wait. Next up for Rosenior is a date in Paris with the reigning champions of Europe.

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Can Chelsea topple Luis Enrique’s men once again?

Last July, Chelsea memorably beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

That PSG had won their maiden Champions League title, crushing Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich a few weeks earlier, made the Blues’ victory all the more impressive.

Cole Palmer scored twice and set up a brilliant third goal for new signing Joao Pedro to add to Chelsea’s trophy cabinet following last season’s Conference League success.

Although things began to unravel for Maresca heading into 2026, Rosenior has largely steadied the ship and will be quietly confident his men can rise to the challenge in the French capital.

Rosenior has managed Chelsea in two Champions League encounters so far, winning them both with a 1-0 home victory over Pafos and a stirring 3-2 success at Napoli.

The result in Naples against the Serie A champions in Matchday 8 of the league phase saw the Blues finish sixth to automatically qualify for the last 16 and dumped Napoli out of the competition.

It also marked the most impressive result of Rosenior' reign so far. Should Chelsea knock out Paris Saint-Germain, they will face either Galatasaray or Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

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Pedro proving the man for the big occasion

Signed from Brighton and Hove Albion last summer, the £60million Chelsea paid for Pedro continues to look a snip.

He took no time in acclimatising to life as a Blue player after scoring twice on his debut in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final 2-0 win over Fluminense.

The Brazilian netted again in the final against PSG and the goals have continued to flow this season, particularly since Rosenior’s arrival in January.

In 13 appearances under Rosenior, Pedro has scored 11 goals.

He is in red-hot form, with six goals in his last five appearances and four in his last two including a hat-trick in last Wednesday’s crucial 4-1 win at Aston Villa and a strike in Saturday’s FA Cup win at Wrexham.

Rosenior is clearly getting the best out of the 24-year-old, who can play as an out-and-out centre forward and in deeper-lying role behind the main striker.

Can Pedro again produce the goods against PSG? You would certainly think so.

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​Palmer showing some welcome signs of his old self

Good news for Chelsea and for England boss Thomas Tuchel; Cole Palmer is back to something approaching his best.

In nine appearances since Rosenior arrived at Stamford Bridge, the mercurial playmaker has scored six goals, including a hat-trick in a win at Wolves last month.

He has had an injury-disrupted campaign but is universally regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation.

If not yet fully fit but certainly firing again, Palmer will hope to produce his scintillating best over two legs against PSG, having put them to the sword with that masterful display in last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup final.

Palmer could be timing to his return to top form to perfection as the World Cup creeps into focus – with the 23-year-old looking a decent bet to earn inclusion in Tuchel’s squad.

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What kind of shape are Paris Saint-Germain in?

PSG will be smarting after losing 3-1 at home to Monaco in Ligue 1 on Friday and their lead at the top of the table is down to a single point.

Enrique’s side showed their mettle, however, after beating Monaco 5-4 on aggregate in their recent Champions League play-off.

Yet Friday’s loss was a cause for concern and Enrique admitted: “It is not the best result going into the Champions League. We are aware of that.

“When you play like that against a team in a very positive dynamic like Monaco, you pay for it.”

The result was a setback for PSG in their bid to win a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title and their fourth league loss in 25 games this season – as many defeats as in the last two seasons combined.

They have now been beaten seven times in all competitions this season and four times this calendar year.

Enrique added: “We are clearly in difficulty at the moment but we need to maintain hope that will change. Confidence is not just something you buy at the supermarket.”

One major positive was the latest return from injury of Ousmane Dembele, who came off the bench in the second half.

Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner has started only 14 of PSG’s 40 games this season and it remains to be seen how long he will be able to play against Chelsea.

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Watch the Champions League on DAZN

Every Champions League match this season can be watched on DAZN in Canada and New Zealand. 

For US soccer fans watch Atletico Madrid vs. Tottenham, and Real Madrid vs. Manchester City in the Last 16 exclusively on DAZN, in Spanish language.