Football
Liam Twomey, Chelsea correspondent 8y

Ray Wilkins: Time for Chelsea to pay back PSG 'big time' for last season

LONDON -- Ray Wilkins believes the time has come for Chelsea to pay back Paris Saint-Germain "big time" for knocking the Blues out of the Champions League last season.

The Ligue 1 leaders return to Stamford Bridge for the second leg of their round of 16 tie on Wednesday as clear favourites to advance to the quarterfinals, having beaten Chelsea 2-1 when the two teams met at Parc des Princes last month.

It is the third time in as many years that Chelsea and PSG have met in the Champions League knockout stage, with each of the two previous ties being settled on away goals.

The Blues overturned a 3-1 deficit at Stamford Bridge in April 2014 to reach the semifinals, only for PSG to overcome Zlatan Ibrahimovic's red card to claim a 2-2 draw after extra time in West London last season and advance to the last eight.

Wilkins says that Chelsea should be inspired by the victory of two years ago, though he believes that Wednesday's match is likely to be another close affair.

"Chelsea have turned them over before, but then they've turned Chelsea over since," Wilkins told ESPN FC at the London Football Awards. "They need to pay them back and pay them back big time.

"They've got an opportunity to do it and the away goal will be vitally important to them, though you'd have to say that PSG have the ability to score one themselves. It's going to be nip and tuck."

Chelsea look set to be without captain John Terry against PSG as the 35-year-old continues to struggle with a hamstring injury picked up in a 5-1 win over Newcastle last month.

Hiddink revealed on Saturday that he was pessimistic about Terry's chances of recovering in time to face PSG, but Wilkins believes the Chelsea captain must play if he manages to prove his fitness.

"The only reason I think he has to play [if fit] is because I'm not over-enamoured with the two left-backs that have been in there defensively," Wilkins added. "Baba Rahman did well in Paris because he didn't have the opportunity to go forward. He just had to stay and defend and he did OK.

"I saw him at Southampton the other day and he couldn't defend, so that worries me quite a bit. If John's fit he should go in alongside Cahill with Ivanovic at right-back and Azpilicueta moving along to left-back."

Terry is set to leave Chelsea when his contract expires this summer after being informed in January that no offer of an extension was forthcoming, though the club insist that "channels of dialogue" are and will remain open with their captain over his future.

Wilkins insists that Terry deserves a new deal at Stamford Bridge and says he cannot understand Chelsea's reluctance to offer him one.

"I can't see why they're umm-ing and ahh-ing about it, to be honest," Wilkins added. "He's still been one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League this season and he'll be first on Guus' team sheet once he's fully fit.

"I really don't see where the problem is. He's never been blessed with speed -- the speed is in his head, the way he reads situations. From that aspect he's still as sharp as a tack because I haven't seen him out of position too much when I've watched him this season.

"The fact that he's been able to stay in the first team at a club like Chelsea who spend, spend and spend, is a remarkable testimony to his ability and his leadership within the club.

"He's a remarkable character. Not only has he led this team, but he's led four or five teams that have been built over the past 10 years."

One player likely to recover from injury in time to face PSG is Diego Costa. The striker was rested for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Stoke City due to a "minor tendon injury", but after the match Hiddink insisted that the decision was just a precaution.

Costa has been the talisman of Hiddink's second interim spell at Chelsea, registering 10 goals and six assists in 14 appearances in all competitions under the Dutchman, and Wilkins has no doubt as to the reason for the Spain international's rejuvenation.

"He looks as if he's enjoying himself and he's actually playing in the penalty area," Wilkins insisted. "When I watched him early in the season he kept drifting outside the box, and with the upmost respect to Diego, he's not the greatest footballer.

"In wide areas they've got Hazard and Willian, so they don't need Diego there. He needs to be in the box and as soon as he's there, he scores goals."

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