Jose Mourinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will meet again when Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain do battle in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Of the four remaining matchups in the UCL, this is undoubtedly the most interesting due to the stakes and suspense. Despite Atletico Madrid's ascension, many expect Barcelona to come away victorious from that tie. Bayern Munich is a shoe-in for the semifinals after drawing a woeful Manchester United. And despite recent struggles, Real Madrid is thought to be too powerful under Carlo Ancelotti for Borussia Dortmund. But in the Chelsea-PSG matchup either team could go home happy.
The big story in this game is Mourinho against his former Inter Milan star Ibrahimovic. The two never worked well together, but there is mutual respect between the two people. Mourinho's task will be to shut down Ibrahimovic, while the Swedish star will look to add to his 10 UCL goals this season.
Chelsea enters the game in losing form and has lost two of three games. The team struggled in the opening stage in a group that included Schalke 04, FC Basel and Steaua Bucharest; however, the Blues managed to come away as the top side and were drawn into a round of 16 meeting with Galatasaray. In Turkey, the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw but at Stamford Bridge Mourinho's club managed a 2-0 win and won 3-1 on aggregate.
Paris Saint-Germain drew a group that included Olympiacos, Benfica and Anderlecht. Paris finished with four wins, one draw and one loss in the group round and managed a record of two wins and one draw at home. In the round of 16, the team faced Bayer Leverkusen and overwhelmed the German side with a 4-0 away win in the first leg. At home a more lax French side came away with a 2-1 win.
The big X-factor in this match is the fact that it will be played in Paris. PSG has accumulated a home record of 12 wins, three draws and zero losses in the French Ligue. The team has only endured one loss at home all season; that came on Jan. 22 against Montpelier in the Coupe de France round of 32. Aside from that the team has been virtually unbeatable at home all season.
Player to Watch: Ibrahimovic has scored 25 goals in the French Ligue 1, in addition to his 10 in the UCL; there can be no doubt that he will be the man to watch in this game. Chelsea's defenders will have to find ways to shutdown the superstar.
Prediction: Chelsea needs to find a way to shutdown PSG's lethal offense and score. Goals have been rare for the English side, especially with the struggles of Fernando Tores and Samuel Eto'o; expect this to be either a tight 1-1 draw or 1-0 Chelsea win. However, if Ibrahimovic finds his form then this could end up being a 3-0 win for Paris.
The match kicks off at 3:45 p.m. EST and can be streamed online on Fox Soccer 2 Go. It can also be viewed on Fox Soccer Plus.
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