MX23RW : Friday, March 29 14:31:12| >> :60:442:442:
[monks data]
PSG logo
Champions League | Quarter-Finals
Apr 2, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Chelsea logo

3-1

Lavezzi (4'), Luiz (61' og.), Pastore (90')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Hazard (27' pen.)

Michael Duberry: 'Chelsea's experience will count for little against PSG'

Talking to Sports Mole, Michael Duberry insists that Chelsea's Champions League experience will not aid them during their quarter-final with Paris Saint-Germain.

Michael Duberry has told Sports Mole that Chelsea's experience of the Champions League will not necessarily give them an advantage during their quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Many of the predicted starting lineup for tonight's first leg in the Parc des Princes won the competition with the Blues in 2012, while manager Jose Mourinho has lifted the trophy on two occasions during his stints with Porto and Inter Milan.

In contrast, in the PSG squad, only Thiago Motta and Maxwell have winners' medals and coach Laurent Blanc has minimal involvement in the tournament from his time with Bordeaux.

However, former Chelsea centre-back Duberry believes that the quality of player at Blanc's disposal makes the tie a relatively even one.

"They've got Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who gets a lot of praise and hype, and they have other very good players as well," said the 38-year-old.

"Blanc has huge experience form playing for France and the majority of their players are internationals. Even though they haven't won the competition, they will have that hunger and desire, which will drive them on. As a club, they are a novice in Champions League terms, but with the money they've spent, there is nothing novice about that."

Ever since the Qatar Investment Authority gained ownership of the Ligue 1 outfit in 2011, top stars such as Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva have flocked to the French capital.

It is a scenario that Duberry feels is comparable to when Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took control at Stamford Bridge 11 years ago.

"It's similar to Chelsea years ago when they started investing heavily in the transfer market. PSG have a quest [to win the Champions League]. Whether it happens this year, I'm not so sure. They might need a few campaigns to get used to the grind of the Champions League," he added.

"A lot of the other top European clubs have a history in the Champions League. Before the money, Chelsea didn't. Abramovich wanted to dominate Europe and after they had invested in some big names, they established themselves as a force."

"Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United - they all have a history with the competition, but PSG are more like Chelsea. They've had a short affiliation with the tournament, but they want to be the top team in Europe. They are using the Chelsea blueprint and Manchester City are trying to do the same."

Duberry has also had his say on the battle between Chelsea's centre-backs and Ibrahimovic. Find out what he had to say here

ID:147704: cacheID:147704:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4469:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Paris Saint-Germain's coach Laurent Blanc reacts during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Lyon (OL) on December 1, 2013
Read Next:
Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
QBayern651016
QCopenhagen62228
3Galatasaray61235
4Man Utd61144

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
QArsenal641113
QPSV62319
3Lens62228
4Sevilla60242

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
QReal Madrid660018
QNapoli631210
3Braga61144
4Union Berlin60242

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
QReal Sociedad633012
QInter Milan633012
3Benfica61144
4Salzburg61144

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
QAtletico642014
QLazio631210
3Feyenoord62046
4Celtic61144

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
QDortmund632111
QPSG62228
3AC Milan62228
4Newcastle61235

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
QMan City660018
QRB Leipzig640212
3Young Boys61144
4Red Star60151

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
QBarcelona640212
QPorto640212
3Shakhtar63039
4Antwerp61053


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!