For one night only, and in keeping with this club’s slogan of the moment, ici c’est Paris. An evening of unrelenting and barely credible drama ended up providing Paris Saint-Germain with the scalp of one of the elite they had craved for so long, with progress into the quarter-finals at the expense of Chelsea confirmation that France’s nouveau riche are contenders. La Marseillaise echoed around this arena as it emptied. Europe has been warned.
History may come to consider this a seismic moment in the French club’s development, when an inferiority complex was ditched and PSG were finally convinced they belonged on this stage. Laurent Blanc’s team had strived for over 90 minutes with 10 men after their most natural match-winner and inspiration, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, had been harshly dismissed just after the half-hour. Logic suggested their chances had gone when the Swede trudged off, but this was a contest that defied belief.
To have progressed regardless was testament to the spirit, quality and sheer bloody-mindedness of their squad, determined not to suffer the same crippling disappointment they had experienced in this stadium a year ago. Twice a Brazilian centre-half rose unchecked to head beyond Thibaut Courtois: David Luiz thunderously off the underside of the crossbar four minutes from normal time; Thiago Silva with a sumptuous arced effort from further out having found space away from Gary Cahill and John Terry. Blanc was an emotional wreck by the end, fidgeting nervously on the touchline while the play dribbled to its conclusion, a mess of free-kicks and gamesmanship. Blanc’s glee on the final whistle was unconfined, with this the kind of result to keep any manager in a job.
The reality is that before this PSG had only reached the quarter-finals of this competition in the last two seasons, when Barcelona and then Chelsea had dispatched them on away goals. But even a return to the last eight felt hugely significant in the context of ousting the 2012 winners, and a team managed by José Mourinho, en route. Qatar Sports Investment (QSI), directly owned by the state of Qatar and its Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, has now been in charge for three-and-a-half years and had been waiting for a true demonstration of its lavishly constructed team’s potential. They have won Ligue 1 twice and beaten Barcelona in the group stage, which they did in the autumn, to provide hints of their capabilities. Eliminating Chelsea, and exorcising the nightmarish memories of Demba Ba’s last-minute goal here a year ago, was confirmation of PSG’s quality.
“It is amazing for everyone, amazing for Paris the club, and for Paris the city,” said David Luiz, the only really significant addition to their ranks since last season after joining from Chelsea. He was one of the evening’s pantomime villains for Chelsea fans – his duel with Diego Costa was vicious at times with one elbow flung at the striker in the first half prompting Mourinho to suggest retrospective action might be appropriate. The Brazilian added: “We did a great game, we tried to win the game, and I couldn’t control my emotions when I scored.” QSI’s stated aim remains to win the European Cup before 2018. That ambition appears far less outlandish after this triumph.
Their progress felt merited. Ibrahimovic’s red card appeared unfortunate – his challenge was not two-footed even if he was off the ground – and Oscar’s follow-through made truer contact with the inside of the Swede’s right shin. The incident looked uglier at full speed than on replays but Bjorn Kuipers, surrounded by nine furious Chelsea players and with Oscar prone, did not grant himself time for contemplation before showing the red card. Ibrahimovic had been hamstrung and absent when his team-mates lost here in April. Here they charged on without him.
There were performances of strength and character throughout the team. Thiago Motta, despite lacking match fitness, was an imposing presence in central midfield as were David Luiz and Silva at centre-half. Edinson Cavani may have struck a post when it seemed easier to score, a re-run of last year’s misses on this ground, but he worked tirelessly across the front-line after Ibrahimovic departed. Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti were all snarling energy until the latter’s hamstring pinged, and Javier Pastore glided forward with menace whenever the game was allowed to flow amid the spats between players and flourishes of the yellow card. Even the substitutes, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Adrien Rabiot, made a difference when they entered the fray late on with the team’s position apparently hopeless.
Blanc has a contract until 2016 but has still been fighting off perceived threats from Atlético Madrid’s Diego Simeone and Jürgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund – and even Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti – for his job. This may prove to have been the moment his fortunes turned. His employer was certainly delighted by the performance. “Beating a team like Chelsea is crucial for our project,” said the PSG president, Nasser al-Khelaifi. “This is one of the best results in my time here.”
