It’s the first of two huge cup games in the space of four days, with Guus Hiddink’s team making the trip north to take on Everton in the FA Cup on Saturday. Our immediate focus, however, is solely on the Champions League, according to Matic.
‘The Champions League is a chance to save the season, everyone is aware of that,’ he says. ‘We know it’s not going to be easy, it will be very hard. We’ve played PSG in the last two seasons and both times it’s been decided on away goals.’
The Serbian midfielder, who missed the first leg through suspension, believes matches of such magnitude can often be decided by the finest of margins.
‘It’s difficult because they have the best players in the French league,’ he noted. ‘You can be prepared but when you get onto the pitch it’s quality which decides the outcome.
‘Obviously there is a tactical element, which the coach prepares, but when you play against these teams you never know what’s going to happen.’
Matic, who was cup-tied in the Champions League in 2014, was part of the team which went out to PSG on away goals at the same stage of last season’s competition, and the feeling of disappointment which followed that particular game is one he is desperate to avoid this evening.
‘We haven’t forgotten losing to them and we will try to win,’ he says. ‘It’s not a nice feeling when you go out of the Champions League so we want to get through and try to save our season because in the Premier League we haven’t been good enough.’
John Mikel Obi, meanwhile, believes if we can perform well as a unit we have every chance of securing our place in the last eight.
‘We all know what happened the last time we played them here, they scored in the last few minutes and then we couldn’t go through,’ said the Nigerian. ‘It will be cagey, very difficult and we have to approach it in a clever way.
‘Cesc Fabregas had a rest against Stoke, Diego Costa didn’t start the game and players like them and Eden Hazard will be vital for us. It’s all about being together, we’re not counting on individuals but the whole team.
‘Our fans have been amazing so I’m sure they will all come out to support us. There have been ups and downs this season but they have stuck by us.’
Source - Chelsea fc
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