PSG v Chelsea: Referee appointed for Champions League last-16 first leg! | OneFootball

On Wednesday, March 11, as part of the first legs of the Round of 16 (return leg on March 17) of the 2025-2026 Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain (1st in Ligue 1) will face Chelsea (5th in the Premier League) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9:00 p.m., broadcast on Canal+). The referee for the match has been chosen: Alejandro Hernandez (43 years old). He has developing experience in the Champions League, with only 9 matches under his belt.

The man with the whistle will be assisted by José Naranjo and Diego Sanchez Rojo. The role of fourth official will be filled by José Luis Munuera. And video assistance will be provided by Carlos Del Cerro Grande and Cesar Soto Grado.

Yellow cards –

With Mr. Hernandez officiating, we can expect yellow cards to be rather rarely handed out during the match. In fact, while the French average per match is 3.53 (standard deviation of 0.39), Wednesday’s referee has given an average of 2.00 yellow cards per match throughout his Champions League career (according to Transfermarkt). That’s very low, so Paris should be wary of frustration against Chelsea’s intensity.

Straight red cards –

The man with the whistle this Wednesday is not much stricter when it comes to straight red cards. Indeed, Hernandez has issued 0 red cards in his Champions League career, while the French average per match is 0.17 (standard deviation of 0.07). This fits the profile of a referee who allows physical contact, even if he has refereed only a few matches.

Second yellow cards –

Alejandro Hernandez, on the other hand, is used to sending off a player after their first yellow card in a match, as he has given a second warning to the same player an average of 0.22 times per match. This is lower than the French average, which stands at 0.09 (standard deviation of 0.03). With few yellows at first and no reds, it suggests he does not hesitate to send off a player who hasn’t heeded the first warning.

Penalties –

As for penalties, the man who will officiate the final is almost at the average, with 0.33 penalties awarded per match, 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 did cross paths with Chelsea this season during the group stage, with a 2-1 defeat against Atalanta.

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