This Wednesday, March 11, Paris Saint-Germain (1st in Ligue 1) faces Chelsea (6th in the Premier League) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 pm, CET) in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League Round of 16 (second leg on March 17). And as before every match, here is a profile of PSG’s opponent.
Chelsea’s situation –
Founded in 1905, Chelsea has experienced highs and lows. These include significant investments in the 2000s and major titles (Premier League in 2005, 2006, and 2010, as well as the 2012 Champions League). There were some setbacks afterward, followed by a remarkable resurgence highlighted by the Champions League victory in 2021, with the 2015 and 2017 Premier League titles along the way (among others).
Since Todd Boehly’s takeover of the club to replace Roman Abramovich, the Blues have been particularly inconsistent despite significant spending during the transfer window. The accumulation of players at Chelsea has even become a running joke in the football world.
After a trophyless run since 2021, Chelsea won a title again in the 2024-2025 season: the Europa Conference League (hardly a major title), won against Real Betis (4-1). Then, the Blues went on to win the Club World Cup last summer, reaching the final against PSG (3-0).
However, this wasn’t enough to bring stability. The transfer window was once again marked by numerous moves, and Enzo Maresca failed to find consistency in matches. This ultimately cost him his job, and Liam Rosenior arrived from Strasbourg on January 10th.
Summer Transfer Window 2025 –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
Winter Transfer Window 2025/2026 –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key Statistics – Updated
This season, Chelsea boasts the best attack in the Premier League with 79 goals scored (second-placed Atalanta has 78, and last-placed Lecce has 27), and the second-best defense with 35 goals conceded (Napoli has the best defense with 27 goals conceded, last-placed Monza has 69).
The Blues’ top scorer is Marcus Thuram (29 years old), with 14 goals, placing him among the top 5 in the league (the top scorer in Serie A is Mateo Retegui with 25 goals). Federico DiMarco (27-year-old left-back) is the English club’s top assist provider with 7 assists and is among the 7th in the Premier League (Romelu Lukaku is first with 10 assists).
Chelsea’s last 5 matches – 2 matches
Only Chelsea’s possession is shown, and their shots are listed first (when data is available).
February 13, 2026 (FA Cup) – Hull City/Chelsea: 0-4. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 78% possession. 13 shots, 8 on target, compared to 4 shots (2 on target).
February 21, 2026 (Premier League) – Chelsea (down to 10 men in the 72nd minute, 1-0)/Burnley: 1-1. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 67% possession. 12 shots, 2 on target, vs. 9 shots (4 on target).
01/03/2026 (Premier League) – Arsenal/Chelsea (down to 10 men in the 70th minute, 2-1): 2-1. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 58% possession. 7 shots, 2 on target, vs. 10 shots (5 on target).
04/03/2026 (Premier League) – Aston Villa/Chelsea: 2-1. Playing a 3-5-2 formation. 56% possession. 10 shots, 3 on target, vs. 12 shots (4 on target). UPDATED
07/03/2026 (FA Cup) – Wrexham/Chelsea: 0-2. Playing a 3-4-2-1 formation. 61% possession. 11 shots, 7 on target, compared to 18 shots (4 on target).
Squad:
Out – Levi Colwill and Estêvão (injuries).
The probable starting lineup in a 4-3-3 formation.
Neto – Pedro – Palmer
Caicedo – Enzo Fernandez – James
Cucurella – Chalobah – Fofana – Gusto
Jorgensen
Chelsea’s playing style.
As in Strasbourg, and following Maresca’s approach (even with some changes), Rosenior is implementing an attacking style of play at Chelsea. There’s a desire to have possession, string passes together, and control the tempo to create chances. All this while being aggressive off the ball, imposing a physical challenge with this squad. Beware of overdoing it, as red cards are relatively frequent.
For PSG, the mission will be clear: play quickly to win duels, while being ready to contest them with maximum determination. And always being alert to a quick attack launched by Chelsea when they regain possession of the ball.
