Aggressive nature of PSG surprised Mourinho
JOSE MOURINHO has complained about Paris St Germain’s aggression before tonight’s Champions League last-16 second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho was frustrated at PSG’s persistent fouling in the first leg three weeks ago, which was drawn 1-1, and on the eve of the return described Laurent Blanc’s side as “the most aggressive” team Chelsea have played this season.
PSG were on top for much of the first leg at Parc des Princes, but Chelsea emerged level with their only chance of note – Branislav Ivanovic’s crucial away goal.
Mourinho bristled when asked about PSG’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.”
Mourinho believes the expensively-assembled French side fouled more than League Two Shrewsbury, League One Bradford and all the other sides Chelsea have played this term.
“With players of such quality I was expecting more football and less aggression,” he said.
“I thought an English team would never be surprised by ag- gression. In that game I was surprised, because a team with fantastic players was a team with the record of fouls, was the team that was making foul after foul, was the team that stopped (Eden) Hazard with fouls all the time.”
The tie is more finely balanced than last season’s quarter-final, when Chelsea entered the second leg facing a 3-1 deficit.
Chelsea 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 again.
Holders Real Madrid survived a real scare as they scraped into the quarter-finals 5-4 on aggregate despite a first home Champions League defeat since 2011.
Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar struck twice to end his former club’s 21-match unbeaten run at the Bernabeu in the competition but the German side could not force the goal in the last six minutes to take them into the quarter-finals.