It’s fingers-crossed week for Chelsea. Fingers crossed that, after somehow getting past Paris St Germain tonight, they can watch Liverpool and Manchester City battle out a draw on Sunday before rejoining the title favourites with victory at Swansea later that afternoon.
Then Jose Mourinho’s first season back at the Bridge would become really exciting.
But let’s take each game as it comes. The Champions League second leg is about as balanced as any neutral could wish, the Mourinho factor seeming to reduce the weight of advantage PSG secured when Ezequiel Lavezzi extended their lead to 3-1.
Bigger leads have been overcome in the history of the European game, so Mourinho can justifiably tell his players: “At 7.45pm we have the chance to be in the semi-finals. At 7.45 we must have smiles on our faces.”
PSG’s Laurent Blanc, meanwhile, promises to use attack as defence and the loss through injury of Zlatan Ibrahimovic hardly diminshes his ability to do that; although the Swede is among the planet’s leading footballers, he is not the quickest and Lucas Moura’s ability to dribble at speed may give the French leaders a more balanced attack. Edinson Cavani, too, can expect to benefit from operating at centre-forward, fed by the crafty Lavezzi.
So for Chelsea a key task will be cutting off the supply from an athletic but less creative midfield.
If only Nemanja Matic were eligible. If only Ramires had not got himself suspended.
The defensive midfield roles will almost certainly go to David Luiz and Frank Lampard and, while we cannot be sure what we will get from the Brazilian, the experience and intelligence of the 35-year-old Englishman could be vital. Don’t ask me for a forecast but, if there’s another big night in Lampard, Chelsea’s chances improve.
