PSG vs. Chelsea, Champions League: Half-time report

Do you remember the last time that Chelsea needed to win the Champions League in order to return to the competition the following season? The Blues, under an interim manager, sat deep, defended, and looked to hit their opposition on the counter, en route to becoming the first London club to lift the sport's most prestigious club title.

Fast forward to the 2015/16 season, and it looks as if the club is hoping to execute that plan a second time. Chelsea took the pitch for the first half in Paris on Tuesday, and looked perfectly happy to sit back, keep the home side from finding the back of the net, and hope for enough space to strike on the counter attack. The plan was fairly effective early on, but a set piece in a very dangerous area allowed Zlatan to bang home the opener.

This isn't to say that the Blues haven't had some moments of real quality as the first half wore on, and the visitors definitely had the best chance from open play during the first 45, when Diego Costa had a header saved smartly onto the crossbar. They also got an equalizer from goal scoring hero John Obi Mikel with the last kick of the first half, sending to the break 1-1.

With any luck, the second half will produce several more excellent opportunities for the Blues, and Chelsea will be able to head back to London with at least one more crucial away goal. 45 minutes left to play, keep the blue flag flying high!