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Paris and Chelsea meet for the third year in a row

Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are becoming regular foes in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds; only away goals have separated them in the past two seasons.

Background: Paris v Chelsea ©AFP/Getty Images

Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC meet in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds for the third successive season. In each of the previous two campaigns, the winners progressed on away goals.

• After the group stage the London side appointed Guus Hiddink, coach of PSV Eindhoven when they lifted the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1987/88, as interim manager in place of José Mourinho.

Previous meetings
• In last year's round of 16, a Branislav Ivanović header put Chelsea in front in the first leg at the Parc des Princes, Edinson Cavani replying for the hosts.

• The lineups in Paris on 17 February 2015 were:
Paris: Sirigu, Van der Wiel, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, David Luiz, Verratti, Matuidi, Lavezzi (Pastore 81), Ibrahimović, Cavani.
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanović, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Matić, Willian (Cuadrado 79), Fàbregas (Oscar 84), Hazard, Diego Costa (Rémy 81).

• In the Stamford Bridge return, after Paris lost Zlatan Ibrahimović to a 31st-minute red card, Gary Cahill's late goal was wiped out by David Luiz's 86th-minute header. Eden Hazard put Chelsea back in front with a penalty (96) only for Thiago Silva to score a second, decisive equaliser with six minutes remaining.

• The sides met in the 2014 quarter-finals, Paris winning 3-1 at home thanks to goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore either side of an own goal from Luiz, then with Chelsea.

• The teams at the Parc des Princes on 2 April 2014 were:
Paris: Sirigu, Jallet, Alex, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Verratti (Cabaye 76), Thiago Motta, Matuidi, Cavani, Ibrahimović (Lucas 69), Lavezzi (Pastore 85).
Chelsea: Čech, Ivanović, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Willian, Ramires, Oscar (Lampard 72), Hazard, Schürrle (Torres 59).

• Chelsea's sole first-leg response was a Hazard penalty, which proved crucial as a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of substitutes André Schürrle and Demba Ba, took Mourinho's side through on away goals.

• Chelsea were 3-0 victors in Paris in the 2004/05 group stage, John Terry among the scorers.

• The teams at the Parc des Princes on 14 September 2004 were:
Paris: Letizi, Mendy, Cana, Hélder, Armand, M'Bami, Pierre-Fanfan, Rothen (Ateba 84), Coridon (Ljuboja 66), Pauleta, Ogbeche (Pancrate 72).
Chelsea: Čech, Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Makelele, Lampard, Tiago, J Cole (Geremi 70), Gudjohnsen (Kežman 11), Drogba (Duff 81).

• The return at Stamford Bridge ended goalless.

Match background

Paris
• Laurent Blanc's side are aiming for a fourth successive appearance in the quarter-finals, having lost to FC Barcelona in both 2013 and last season.

• The 3-1 home defeat by Barcelona in the 2014/15 quarter-final first leg was Paris' only home reverse in 37 games in European competition (24 wins, 12 draws) since Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC beat them in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage.

• This season they overcame both Malmö FF and FC Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 at home, either side of a goalless draw with Real Madrid CF as they finished second in Group A.

• The Parisian club have played 11 matches against English sides with the record W2 D5 L4. At home it is W2 D2 L1.

Chelsea
• That 2004 win in Paris is Chelsea's only triumph on French soil in seven visits. They have lost four of their 14 games against Ligue 1 clubs, all those defeats coming away from home.

• In the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg they went down 3-1 at AS Monaco FC, succumbing 5-3 on aggregate.

• Chelsea beat Blanc's FC Girondins de Bordeaux team 4-0 in London in the 2008/09 group stage before a 1-1 draw in France.

• The Blues are looking to reach a fourth quarter-final in six years, and a seventh in the last ten campaigns.

• The Londoners won their group for the tenth time in their last 13 campaigns, finishing as runners-up twice more in that period. Away from home in Group G, they lost at FC Porto (1-2), drew 0-0 at FC Dynamo Kyiv and won 4-0 at Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Coach and player links
• Luiz joined Paris in 2014 after three and a half years and 81 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, scoring six times.

• He played the full 120 minutes of the 2012 final against FC Bayern München, converting his spot kick in the shoot-out. He also featured in the defeat of SL Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final in Amsterdam.

• Alex also swapped Stamford Bridge for the Parc des Princes; Claude Makélélé, Nicolas Anelka and Mateja Kežman all played for both teams.

• Blanc ended his playing days at Manchester United FC between 2001 and 2003, figuring in both league meetings against Chelsea in his first season – 3-0 victories for the away teams – and a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in his second.

• In 2010/11 Hazard helped LOSC Lille beat Paris 1-0 in the French Cup final; a week later he played in a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes which gave LOSC their first French double since 1946. The Belgian lost just one of nine Ligue 1 matches against Paris, scoring in a 2-1 home success in April 2012.

• Loïc Rémy represented Marseille between 2010 and 2013, scoring in a 3-0 Ligue 1 home win over Paris in November 2011; César Azpilicueta helped set up one of the goals.

• Played in England: Di María, Manchester United (2014/15); Benjamin Stambouli, Tottenham Hotspur FC (2014/15).

• International team-mates:
Kurt Zouma, Rémy, Matuidi and Lavyin Kurzawa (France)
Thiago Silva, Luiz, Lucas and Marquinhos; Oscar and Ramires (Brazil)

• Oscar scored in Brazil's 3-0 friendly success over Blaise Matuidi's France on 9 June 2013 in Porto Alegre.

• Matuidi got both goals in France's 2-1 win against Ivanović's Serbia on 7 September 2015 in a Bordeaux friendly.

• Hazard scored for, and captained, a Belgium side featuring Thibaut Courtois in a 4-3 win against France in a Stade de France friendly on 7 June 2015.

• Lavezzi scored in Argentina's 1-1 draw against Willian's Brazil on 14 November 2015 in a FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier in Buenos Aires. Angel Di Maria also played for the hosts as did Luiz (who was sent off) for Brazil. Oscar remained on the bench.

Match facts

Paris
• Serge Aurier and Marco Verratti are a booking away from a ban. 

• Paris' run of 16 successive wins in all competitions ended when they drew 0-0 at home with LOSC Lille on Saturday. Blanc rested Ibrahimović, Maxwell, Thiago Motta and Thiago Silva.

• Pastore (out since 16 January, calf) and Verratti (31 January, groin) made their returns against LOSC, the latter replacing the former at half-time.

• Blanc's team are unbeaten in their last 44 domestic matches (not including the French Super Cup, played in Montreal), 35 of which have been in Ligue 1. On 3 February, they eclipsed FC Nantes' French top-flight record of 32 games without defeat, set in 1995, when they overcame FC Lorient 3-1.

• Winners of the last two editions, Paris will face LOSC in the French League Cup final on 23 April.

• On 10 February, Ibrahimović scored twice in a 3-0 French Cup round of 16 triumph over Olympique Lyonnais, who Paris also eliminated en route to the League Cup final. They will visit AS Saint-Étienne in the last eight on 2 March.

• Jean-Kévin Augustin struck as Paris beat FC Internazionale Milano 1-0 in a friendly in Qatar on 30 December.

• Blanc signed a two-year contract extension on 11 February, tying him to the club until 2018.

UEFA Champions League squad changes
• In: none
• Out: none

Chelsea
• Nemanja Matić is suspended for the first leg.

• Since Mourinho was dismissed on 17 December, Chelsea have gone 12 games unbeaten in all competitions.

• Chelsea appointed Hiddink as interim manager for a second time two days later. The Blues have drawn six of his 11 matches in charge.

• The west Londoners recorded their biggest Premier League victory this season when they defeated Newcastle United FC 5-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Pedro Rodríguez scoring twice.

• Terry (muscular injury) made way for Baba Rahman seven minutes before half-time.

• Kurt Zouma damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the 1-1 draw against Manchester United on 7 February and was subsequently ruled out for six months.

• Chelsea will host Manchester City FC in the FA Cup fifth round on 21 February.

• Four of Willian's five goals in the group stage were free-kicks.

• Diego Costa has scored eight goals since Hiddink took charge, four more than he managed this season under Mourinho.

UEFA Champions League squad changes
• In: Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Alexandre Pato (SC Corinthians Paulista, loan)
• Out: Mitchell Beeney, Radamel Falcao, Ramires (Jiangsu Suning FC)

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