Jean-Luc Arribart, a former Rennes-trained defender and now a pundit, was interviewed by Le Parisien after Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 victory over Chelsea (8-2 on aggregate, quarter-final to be played against Liverpool or Galatasaray) this Tuesday at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their 2025-2026 Champions League Round of 16 tie (second leg on March 17).
Arribart: “It was a great display of power and teamwork.”
“A demonstration?
PSG had a great time playing seriously. There was no contest between the two matches, even if the Parisians were helped by the goalkeeper in the first leg. Tonight, the first half was almost perfect, tactically, technically, and physically. They used space extremely well. It was a beautiful demonstration of power and teamwork.
Arribart: “Paris will be a tough champion to beat.”
A strong message sent to the others?
When you play a good Premier League team and score eight goals against them, the message is indeed strong. Paris doesn’t give its opponents much; this team is organized superbly defensively, leaving only crumbs. You can feel that everyone knows what they have to do, everyone runs for the good of the team, with talent and intelligence. The message has been clearly received: Paris will be a tough champion to beat.
A magnificent victory and, above all, qualification for PSG, who gave their opponent no chance in These round of 16 matches. Despite the 5-2 victory in the first leg, nothing was yet decided. An away second leg can always be tricky, especially if the team manages to score very early in the game.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and it was PSG who quickly extinguished Chelsea’s hopes. Luis Enrique’s men once again delivered a perfect performance to qualify for the next round. This also sends a clear message to the rest of European football: yes, PSG can achieve back-to-back titles this season. There’s still a long way to go, but this Parisian team is showing a level of quality that few teams possess at the European level.
