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Luis Enrique has officially fired the first psychological shot of the Champions League knockout stage by launching a bold bid to clear his team’s schedule at Chelsea’s expense.
Chelsea finally know their opponents for the Champions League Round of 16 tie, and it’s a repeat of the FIFA Club World Cup final.
Paris Saint-Germain will face Chelsea on the 11th and the 17th of March, with the second leg coming at Stamford Bridge.
Luis Enrique is not looking for revenge against Chelsea, despite the bad blood at the end of the final.
“The Champions League draw is difficult, as usual. We don’t expect anything different. We are pleased. It will be interesting to play against one of the best English teams, who we know well.
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Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
“There is no feeling of revenge for us. This is a different competition. This is our pathway and we are used to it.
“We are the champions at the moment in this competition, so the problem is for all the other teams. They have to play against us, that is what I think.
PSG request that their Ligue 1 clash is postponed
According to Get French Football News, PSG are looking to postpone their Ligue 1 match against FC Nantes to give them extra days of rest between the two ties with Chelsea.
Regarding the Ligue 1 game between PSG and Nantes, the LFP states that PSG have referred to the LFP’s board – with Nantes’ agreement – for this game to be postponed to the penultimate week of April.
So, with Nantes’ agreement already in place, it seems as if the game has every chance of being cancelled, which does provide Luis Enrique’s side with an unfair advantage.
Chelsea’s UCL Round of 16 opponents confirmed 🤝
Early predictions?
Photo by Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images Chelsea’s fixtures around the Champions League ties
Chelsea faces a punishing March that will test the depth of Liam Rosenior’s squad to its absolute limit.
The journey begins tomorrow with a high-intensity trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal, followed quickly by a midweek clash at Aston Villa and a tricky FA Cup fifth-round tie against Wrexham. These three away games serve as the warm-up for the first leg against PSG in Paris on March 11.
The most critical period occurs between the two European legs; while PSG are lobbying for a weekend off, Chelsea must host a physical Newcastle United side on Saturday, March 14. This leaves Rosenior with less than 72 hours to recover his players before the season-defining return leg at Stamford Bridge.
With five matches in just over two weeks, Rosenior’s ability to rotate effectively will be the difference between European glory and exhaustion.
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