PSG face Chelsea with Club World Cup scars shaping rematch | OneFootball

PSG face Chelsea on Wednesday at 21:00 in the Champions League last 16, eight months after a 3-0 Club World Cup final defeat that Paris have not forgotten.

According to L'Équipe, several players immediately linked July's reverse to this tie, even as Luis Enrique publicly downplayed any idea of revenge.

The damage was done by half-time, then tempers flared. Joao Neves was sent off after VAR in the 85th minute for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair after a shove, while Ousmane Dembélé and Nuno Mendes were booked at 87 and 90+4.

A melee broke out at full-time amid Chelsea's celebrations, involving Nuno Mendes, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi, and on the other side Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos. Pushed by Joao Pedro, Enrique appeared ready to confront him, put a hand to the Brazilian's face as he fell, and was restrained by Presnel Kimpembe.

Afterwards, Enrique addressed it in Spanish, calling it avoidable shoving and saying he aimed to separate players. Some in the squad were briefly taken aback by his reaction and by an opponent going for the coach.

At executive level there is no rancour. Nasser al-Khelaïfi and Todd Boehly are cordial, and PSG's president works closely with Behdad Eghbali through the European football clubs association, with both moving this winter to cool Real Madrid's legal threat against UEFA.

On the pitch, focus and fitness could be decisive. July's loss lingers, but Paris see the tie as a reset.

Source: L'Équipe