Cagey Chelsea to hold tight ‘til half-time then get sunk by PSG

Given the lack of firepower in his Chelsea ranks, it would be no surprise to see Jose Mourinho opt to play the containment game at the Parc Des Princes when his Blues take on Paris St-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash.

Mourinho, after all, is well known for his ability to park the team coach in his own goal mouth for European away nights should the occasion require it.

Robbed of Samuel Eto’o though injury and reliant on misfiring front man Fernando Torres to lead the line, the Special One’s pre-match patter focused on his envy of the PSG attack consisting of not one, but three heavy hitters.

Having lost successive away games in the Premier League without scoring it’s not difficult to see why Mourinho has recoiled into ‘woe is me’ mode and considering PSG – replete with Ezequiel Lavezzi, Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – are unbeaten in 28 home matches in Europe he’s got reason for trepidation.

Siding with the French club to follow in Aston Villa and Crystal Palace’s footsteps certainly holds appeal at 11/10 as a result, with the draw a 23/10 chance and Chelsea the 11/4 outsiders.

However, given Mourinho’s tactical nous his side are likely to offer plenty of resilience and as they have done in their last three away league encounters, they could well frustrate Laurent Blanc’s outfit until the break only to be undone in the second 45.

A wager on the draw at half time, with PSG ending victorious pays out handsomely at 4/1, while the 1-0 or 2-0 scoreline, which is available at 13/4 as a coupled correct score bet attracts attention.

For all their flair up front, in four home games in the Champions League this season, only once have PSG scored more than twice.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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