soccer

Chelsea face difficult Champions League run

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Chelsea's draw to face Paris St‑Germain in the last 16 – and their potential subsequent run – is a daunting prospect.

Before the draw, it was simply a question of whether Liam Rosenior's side would face either PSG or Newcastle, with an all‑English tie avoided.

A rematch of this summer's Club World Cup final – and another meeting with the European champions – was pulled out of the hat, opposition Rosenior had already encountered while managing his former club Strasbourg.

PSG, though, are not the force they were at this stage last season.

They struggled to beat domestic rivals Monaco despite their opponents going down to 10 men in both matches in the play‑off round. In addition, PSG's form in all competitions has been patchy since the winter break, including a shock exit to Paris FC in the last 32 of the French Cup.

The draw, at least, avoids the flat prospect of Chelsea playing Newcastle three times in a row, as the Champions League ties would have been sandwiched between a league meeting on 14 March.

It will be interesting to see what Rosenior makes of the draw, ahead of what Opta data suggests is the toughest set of fixtures in their final 11 Premier League matches.

There is also a demanding Champions League pathway mapped out for Chelsea, who could meet Liverpool in the quarter‑finals and then either Manchester City or Real Madrid in a potential semi‑final on the road to the final in Budapest.

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