PSG v Chelsea: Barcola, Kvaratskhelia, Neves, Pacho…the hits and misses! | OneFootball

This Wednesday evening, Paris Saint-Germain triumphed 5-2 (video summary PSG/Chelsea) against Chelsea in the first leg of the round of 16 (return on March 17) of the 2025-2026 Champions League at the Parc des Princes. We present to you the highlights and low points of this victory.

Highlights –

❤️ Bradley Barcola reignites the flame.

About a year after his last goal in the Champions League, during a period where PSG is struggling with efficiency, the 23-year-old forward opened the scoring with a superb strike in addition to delivering an overall impressive performance. This can only be beneficial for the team and the player, but it remains to be seen if he can continue this form as the match was far from easy.

Kvaratskhelia too.

The 25-year-old forward is a usual target of criticism, and this time he was on the bench facing tough competition. He made a great entrance, highlighted by a superb goal that was greatly needed. This was evident at the end of the match, with a notable double and an assist, earning him the man of the match title despite being a substitute.

The return of João Neves.

The 21-year-old midfielder was somewhat uncertain for this match, but he was ultimately able to start. João Neves demonstrated his importance with numerous ball recoveries or blocks, not to mention his precision in play.

Willian Pacho, the rock.

There has been some focus on a supposed dip in form and potential concern for Willian Pacho in recent days. The 24-year-old defender responded very well this evening with a strong performance to contain João Pedro.

Low Points –

😡 Two major misses for Nuno Mendes.

On both goals, it can be noted that Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué could have done better. But primarily, there is a responsibility on Nuno Mendes. On the first, he oddly stopped repositioning himself, as if there was time. On the second, with a miss that put the team in difficulty. We still do not doubt his abilities, but he needs to regain more discipline in his game.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.