Tactics Talk: Spot The Difference (Chelsea vs PSG)

Line-ups:

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech, Azpilicueta, Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic, David Luiz, Lampard, Oscar, Willian, Eto'o, Hazard

Paris Saint Germain (4-3-3): Sirigu, Jallet, Alex, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Matuidi, Verratti, Motta, Lucas, Cavani, Lavezzi

A slightly new take on the Tactics Talk! With these two only squaring up to one another a week ago, I thought it would be fairly pointless to write a post that would be almost word for word the same thing. On first glimpse, you would be forgiven for thinking the two sides have simply fielded the same 11s that started the first leg in Paris. There are a few subtle differences, that I will address in a moment. However, this post will look at those differences, and how it impacted the overall flow of the match, and perhaps the result.

So, going back to the lineups. Chelsea lined up with the same back line and midfield, with the exception of a like for like swap of Frank Lampard for the suspended Ramires. One area that has changed considerably is going forward. Not only has Jose Mourinho made his intentions to attack clear by pushing the two wingers, Hazard and Willian, further up the pitch from the start, he removed the hard-working but ultimately ineffective Andre Schurrle from that ill-judged 'false 9' role. His replacement: the striker he offended least recently! Maybe that's how he works it?

In all seriousness, Eto'o's reintroduction did offer Chelsea another option. His instinctive finishing ability, coupled with his prodigious pace, offered Chelsea the long ball option behind, and guaranteed that the Cameroonian would be on his bike to make runs behind Alex and Thiago Silva. This is where Frank Lampard's inclusion is perhaps more than the like for like swap that it initially appeared. His ability to pick a pass is second to none, and it must undoubtedly have been in Jose Mourinho's plans to get Lampard threading balls through the PSG defence for Eto'o.

In contast, there was one obvious omission from the Parisians' team: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish talisman would be a considerable absence for them, from both a stature and ability standpoint, but their formation and tactics seemed to largely remain the same, with the three holding midfielders offering the pacy wide players the opportunity to break. That is not to say PSG would be parking the bus - they would be looking for goals to put the game to bed.

In the game itself, the opening stages struggled to find the intensity of the week before, with PSG looking comfortable both in possession and without the ball. Unlike the first leg, both sides seemed more than willing to use the wings, with Chelsea particularly favouring the right hand side. This was to be explained 20 minutes in. After a largely anonymous opening quarter, Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard was forced off with a hamstring injury, bringing Andre Schurrle on in his place. Though not as mercurial as the Belgian wonderkid, Schurrle would have his own impact on the match. Towards the middle of the first half hour, Chelsea began to dictate play, but the never came close to breaking the deadlock as PSG's trio of Motta, Verratti and Matuidi seemed more than capable of mopping up any potential threats. Only a silly free kick conceded on the edge of the PSG area gave Sirigu any real cause for concern the first half hour, as Laurent Blanc seemed to have outwitted his opponent tactically.

However, those who have watched a Mourinho side know that he does not go down without a fight, and a switch or two. By continuing to stretch the Parisians, constantly switching Andre Schurrle and Willian to distract the PSG full backs, Chelsea managed to carve out a number of half chances. The defining moment of the first half though, came from a piece of good fortune. After winning numerous headers in the middle of the park, Chelsea tried a Rory Delap-esque long throw to unnerve the French. It worked perfectly, with David Luiz flicking Ivanovic's throw into the path of Schurrle, who flicked the ball beyond the statuesque Sirigu.

And how that changed the momentum! Suddenly, Chelsea looked a threat down the wings, with Schurrle having half-hearted appeals for a penalty turned down. From set pieces, the Blues reigned supreme, with Gary Cahill missing a guilt-edged chance to level the tie. As the first half lulled to a conclusion, Chelsea will have been extremely happy with their first half performance. This continued into the second period, with an extraordinary period of play seeing both Schurrle and Oscar hitting almost the same spot on the bar as Chelsea cursed their luck. The mistake-riddled Marco Verratti was then withdrawn for Yohan Cabaye to shore up the PSG midfield and give them another attacking option. Though PSG did begin to pressurise, the second third belonged to the Blues.

As time began to run out, that old tactic of throwing men forward began to occur, and Chelsea found themselves being caught on the counter. With both Ba and Torres then thrown on in favour of Lampard and Torres, Chelsea bombarded the PSG box, but with little reward. PSG in contrast, made two defensive subs, bringing off the dangerous Ezequiel Lavezzi for last week's heartbreaker Javier Pastore and 19-year-old centre back Marquinhos in favour of Lucas. However, it didn't work. After Edinson Cavani should really have killed the tie on the break, Chelsea broke through (once again with a stroke of good fortune). A deflection on a Torres shot took the ball straight to the much maligned Demba Ba, who stroked the ball off his shin and into the roof of the net under pressure from the defender.

Try as they might, PSG just could not find a way through, leaving Chelsea in delirium. Perhaps those defensive subs from Blanc came back to bite him in the end, as Marquinhos found himself with a chance that Lavezzi may have buried.

So what changed? Was it simply home advantage, or was there something more tactical? It is certainly true that Chelsea looked more defensively assured with Lampard guarding the back 4, rather than the more attack minded Ramires. It is also true that the movement of Willian and Schurrle caused PSG no end of problems, as it completely took the trio of Motta, Matuidi and Verratti out of the game. Throw in a couple of moments of good fortune and a slice of spirit, and you have a truly remarkable comeback that sees a Jose Mourinho side into the final four of the Champions League for the 5th consecutive year. He can't can he...?