"Jose Mourinho's 2014-15 Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain will be fresh in the minds of many. After securing a strategic 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes, the Blues appeared to have a clear path to the quarter-finals when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off just 31 minutes into the second leg."
"However, rather than capitalising on the man advantage, Mourinho's side retreated into a cautious, defensive shell that invited relentless pressure from the ten men. Despite late goals from Gary Cahill and an Eden Hazard penalty, Chelsea were twice pegged back by headers from corners, first by former Blue David Luiz and finally by a looping 114th-minute effort from Thiago Silva."
"The 3-3 aggregate defeat on away goals prompted Ibrahimovic to famously mock Chelsea's players as 'eleven babies', while Mourinho later admitted his squad simply couldn't cope with the mental pressure."
Chelsea prepares for a Champions League Round of 16 matchup against Paris Saint-Germain, with matches scheduled for March 11th and 17th, the latter at Stamford Bridge. This represents a rematch of the FIFA Club World Cup final, which Chelsea won 3-0 under Enzo Maresca. However, the teams' Champions League history carries painful memories. In 2015, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea suffered a devastating exit despite playing with a numerical advantage after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's red card. Chelsea conceded late goals and lost 3-3 on aggregate, with Ibrahimovic subsequently mocking the players. Liam Rosenior now has the opportunity to avenge this historic defeat and heal a decades-old wound for the club.
Read at The Chelsea Chronicle
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