On Wednesday, March 11, in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League Round of 16 (second leg on March 17), Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1 leaders) will face Chelsea (Premier League fith) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 p.m., CET). The referee for the match has been chosen: Alejandro Hernandez (43 years old). He has limited experience in the Champions League, having officiated only nine matches.
He will be assisted by José Naranjo and Diego Sanchez Rojo. The fourth official will be José Luis Munuera. Video assistant referees (VAR) Carlos Del Cerro Grande and Cesar Soto Grado will be in charge.
Yellow Cards –
With Mr. Hernandez in charge, we can expect yellow cards to be relatively infrequent during the match. Indeed, while the French average per match is 3.53 (standard deviation of 0.39), Wednesday’s referee has averaged 2.00 yellow cards per game throughout his Champions League career (Transfermarkt figures). This is very low; Paris Saint-Germain should be wary of frustration in the face of Chelsea’s intensity.
Direct Red Cards –
The referee on Wednesday is no more severe when it comes to direct red cards. In fact, Hernandez has 0 red cards in his Champions League career, while the French average per match is 0.17 (standard deviation of 0.07). This suggests a referee who allows physical contact, even if he has relatively few matches to officiate.
Second Yellow Cards –
Alejandro Hernandez, on the other hand, has a habit of sending off a player after their first yellow card in a match, having given a second yellow to the same player an average of 0.22 times per game. This is lower than the French average of 0.09 (standard deviation of 0.03). With few yellow cards initially and no red cards, it seems he doesn’t hesitate to send off a player who hasn’t fully grasped the first warning.
Penalties –
Regarding penalties, the man who will officiate the final is almost at the average level with 0.33 penalties awarded per game, while in Ligue 1 the average is 0.34 (standard deviation of 0.08).
History –
Hernandez has never refereed PSG in the Champions League.
He faced Chelsea this season during the league phase, with a 2-1 defeat against Atalanta.
