It could be billed as the billionaires’ derby.
A clash between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday signals the business end in this season’s Europe’s money-spinning Champions League competition has landed.
Chelsea, a comfortable leader in the English Premier League, faces off against Paris Saint-Germain, which is in contention for a third successive league crown in France.
Among its many intriguing plot lines is a battle between two of football’s biggest egos: Chelsea’s irascible, but eminently quotable, manager Jose Mourinho, and PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a walking well of self confidence.
It also sees the London club’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich put his expensively assembled side up against an equally star-studded Parisian outfit, which is owned by Qatar Sports Investments.
Throw in a chance for PSG to avenge its elimination from last year’s competition at the quarterfinal stage, and David Luiz meeting the side that sold him to the Paris club for a reported fee of $76 million in May, and it has all the makings of a classic.
Who has the biggest ego out of Mourinho and Ibrahimovic?
How long have you got?
These two possess such magnetic personalities a simple televised conversation between them on CNN would probably attract an audience of millions.
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It is hoped Blaise Matuidi will recover in time to feature against Chelsea, while Marco Veratti will have to take on extra responsibility given its depleted ranks.
What happened last time they met?
Quite simply, PSG should have won.
It secured a 3-1 lead in the first leg at the Parc des Princes after goals from Pastore and Lavezzi were added to a by a Luiz own goal.
Chelsea took the lead in the return leg through Andre Schurrle — recently sold to German club Wolfsburg — but were struggling to conjure any chances as the game entered its final moments.
But substitute Demba Ba popped up to bundle the ball home in the 87th minute to spark wild scenes of celebration at Stamford Bridge and send Mourinho sprinting down the touchline to pass on some tactical instructions in the aftermath.
Chelsea would fall at the next stage, beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, which succumbed to city rivals Real in the final.
This is Mourinho’s fifth attempt at securing the Champions League crown for Chelsea, but will he succeed this year?
Read: Body confident and ready to play
