2025-26 UCL Round of 16: First Leg – PSG vs Chelsea

Reigning champions, PSG meet Chelsea in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.

PSG overcame Monaco in their Knockout Play-Off tie whilst Chelsea bypassed that stage due to having finished sixth in the League Phase.

 

Team News

Joao Neves is a doubt for PSG due to an ankle injury, which had kept him sidelined in their last three matches in all competitions.

Fabian Ruiz (knee) and Quentin Ndjantou (hamstring) remain absent.

Chelsea have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 4-2 victory at Wrexham in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Dario Essugo (unspecified), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Estevao (both hamstring), Levi Colwill (ACL) and Mykhailo Mudryk (suspension) are still sidelined.

 

When is Kick-Off?

PSG host Chelsea at Parc des Princes on Wednesday 11 March at 9pm CET (8pm UK Time), live on TNT Sports 2 in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• PSG have lost just two of their eight previous Champions League meetings against Chelsea (W3, D3, L2).
• Chelsea have won just one of four previous visits to PSG in the Champions League (W1, D1, L2).
• PSG have won each of their two previous Round of 16 ties against Chelsea in the Champions League; having won on away goals after 3-3 aggregate draw in 2014-15 edition then 4-2 the following season.
• PSG have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four Champions League matches at home (W1, D2, L1).
• Chelsea are yet to keep an away clean sheet in this season’s Champions League (W1, D1, L2).

 

Prediction

As reigning champions and unbeaten against Chelsea at this stage of the competition, PSG begin this tie as favourites but for all of their attacking quality, their defence is vulnerable with just two clean sheets in this season’s competition so they will need to find a way to tighten up their back lines.

Chelsea though do have similar issues in that their attack is strong yet their defence is their vulnerability so to have gone to extra time at Wrexham was the last thing that they needed, especially after conceding twice from two fast breaks which is something that PSG could capitalise upon.

It therefore feels easy to say that this could be a high-scoring cracker such is the defensive fragilities within both teams but I do think that they will keep this tight, which would in-turn set up a lively second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: PSG 1-1 Chelsea

Result: PSG 5-2 Chelsea