Jose Mourinho says Paris Saint-Germain are the most aggressive team Chelsea have faced this season, and said he was surprised that a side of their level so targeted Eden Hazard.
The Belgian playmaker was the subject of many abrasive challenges in the 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes in the first leg, and Mourinho said it was the most extreme physical approach Chelsea had faced this season, ahead of Wednesday's second leg.
"I was surprised in that game," Mourinho said. "I was surprised. Because a team with fantastic players was the team with a record number of fouls, was the team making foul after foul, was the team which stopped Hazard with fouls all the time, was the team attacking the man in possession of the ball with two or three players with some very aggressive actions, a team where -- even a player like Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], a typical attacking player -- came back when they lost the ball and attacked Hazard from behind when we were countering.
"I thought an English team would never be surprised by aggression, because aggression we have in our country. This season we've played against sides from the Championship in the cups, against teams from League One, and Shrewsbury from League Two, but the most aggressive team was PSG. For me, that was a real surprise.
"With players of such quality, I was expecting more football and less aggression."
PSG were on top for much of the first leg at Parc des Princes, but Mourinho bristled when asked about their opponent's dominance.
He said: "What is dominate? If dominate is the number of chances, yes, Paris had more chances than us. If dominate is to stop the opponent to play, making foul after foul, yes they also dominate.
"If dominate is to have the ball and to move the ball without progression, yes, they also dominate. I think they dominate in everything except in the result."
Chelsea had to win last season's quarterfinal tie after a 3-1 first-leg deficit and prevailed on away goals when Demba Ba netted a last-gasp goal for a 2-0 home win.
Now the Blues are seeking to advance to the last eight and progress at PSG's expense once more, with Mourinho insisting victory is the target.
"Losing 3-1 you are on the limit of the risk. We knew that if we concede one goal, you are in big trouble," he added. "We knew that we had to score a minimum of two. Tomorrow is different.
"The result has a complete balance, but we are going to try to win."
Cesc Fabregas, meanwhile, said that the one thing missing from Chelsea this season is a "killer instinct," and the ability to fully finish off games when on top.
"This is the thing. If I have to say what we're missing a bit this season it's that moment when, if we can kill, we have to kill," Fabregas said. "There have been moments where we've not done that and allowed other players to push and be dangerous.
"We have to be more determined, especially when we go forward. When we get one goal, we have to go for the second and third. That's the only thing we can really improve. Hopefully we will have that killer instinct tomorrow and go for the game from the first second."
Chelsea have already won one trophy this season after beating Tottenham in the Capital One Cup final. Mourinho believes the League Cup success -- his first of his second spell at Stamford Bridge -- means nothing with regard to the Champions League.
"The League Cup doesn't change [anything]," Mourinho added. "The game tomorrow is important. If you lose, the competition finishes.
"It's different than in the Premier League where you have 38 matches to play. It's as important as the game against Bradford. We lost, the FA Cup finished for us.
"Everybody knows tomorrow a very good team will finish the Champions League."
Information from Press Association was used in this report.