Here’s our series. The 5 good reasons to watch a match (with some adjustments here and there). We’ll revisit the compelling aspects before each match with a mix of seriousness and humor. Please note, this isn’t meant to be an exhaustive overview. We continue here with Paris Saint-Germain’s match this Tuesday against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League Round of 16 (PSG won the first leg 5-2) (kick-off at 9 pm, CET).
5 – What will the starting lineup be?
There’s less uncertainty than for some matches where rotation is expected, but every choice seems potentially decisive, and there are a few hesitations that could change everything. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (the 25-year-old striker) was impressive in the first leg; could he be on the bench again? If he starts, who might be replaced? Désiré Doué (20-year-old midfielder/forward) wasn’t fantastic, but his defensive work rate, physical presence, and ability to break through the press shouldn’t be underestimated.
Warren Zaïre-Emery (19-year-old midfielder) is showing signs of fatigue, but he’s also valuable in winning back possession. Substituting him would seem like an “offensive” choice, especially since PSG has a lead and Chelsea will undoubtedly try to launch an attack. Indeed, goals from PSG could also dampen the Blues’ enthusiasm. Coach Luis Enrique has some big decisions to make; we’ll have to wait and see.
4 – Mistakes corrected?
PSG won comfortably in the first leg, but they were far from perfect. We saw some major errors, areas for improvement. We know Luis Enrique; he’ll be demanding. We suspect there’s been a lot of work done in recent days to improve even further; let’s hope we see a convincing result on the pitch.
3 – Bradley Barcola ready to continue his scoring streak?
We know Kvaratskhelia stole the show with an extraordinary performance off the bench, and deservedly so. However, Bradley Barcola (the 23-year-old striker) scored again in the Champions League in the first leg after a drought of just over a year. He delivered an impressive performance. We now hope he can maintain this form, at least in terms of his overall contribution, and ideally by scoring again. This could do him a world of good, in addition to the importance of goals for PSG, of course.
2 – A match that will undoubtedly be intense and spectacular.
The first leg was already a high-tempo, goal-filled affair, and the return leg shouldn’t be any less intense. At least for part of it, as the end could lack suspense depending on the scoreline. But Chelsea will inevitably put on the pressure and give everything for a strong comeback at home. PSG will need to be ready immediately and will require a big performance to avoid serious doubts, or even worse.
1 – Quarter-finals in sight.
The main thing, as always, is to advance in the competition. Qualification is at stake in this second leg, and it’s an opportunity to be fully embraced. The winner will join Galatasaray or Liverpool, who face each other on Wednesday, provided the Turkish club wins the first leg 1-0, for quarter-final matches on April 7-8 and 14-15.
