Laurent Blanc claimed that Angel Di Maria gave Chelsea problems they could not solve after Paris Saint-Germain sent the Blues crashing out of the Champions League at the round of 16 stage for the second successive season.
Goals from Adrien Rabiot and Zlatan Ibrahimovic secured a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge and 4-2 aggregate victory for PSG despite the best efforts of Diego Costa, who scored for Chelsea in the first half before limping from the field with a tendon injury after the break.
Playing his first match in England since joining PSG from Manchester United for £44 million last summer, Di Maria shone in the roaming midfield role afforded him by Blanc and made a decisive impact on 67 minutes when his pinpoint cross allowed Ibrahimovic to score the goal that secured the Ligue 1 leaders' place in the quarterfinals.
"We had to think of a way of giving Chelsea problems," Blanc said in his postmatch media conference. "In tight matches such as these you have to win the midfield battle, and pose a tactical problem to the opposition in midfield.
"Angel Di Maria did that well and Adrien Rabiot can do that when he plays higher up the pitch. It allows us to keep the ball with greater ease. Di Maria gave Chelsea a problem from start to finish, they never knew where he was -- but we did, and could give him the ball. That tactical aspect worked very well."
Ibrahimovic's goal and assist for Rabiot also represented a more personal redemption after the Swede was sent off just 31 minutes into last season's corresponding fixture, and Blanc insists that his star striker has nothing more to prove as an elite player.
"Zlatan performed at the level he has been performing throughout this season," Blanc added. "You [journalists] often have doubts about whether he can perform at other levels, because it's Ligue 1, it's true. He showed tonight that he can produce this in the Champions League.
"He has terrific attributes. He keeps centre-backs occupied, he has great vision, he can steer the game, come short and can set up our play which is very important."