Cahill: Chelsea are motivated, responsible, calm, and relaxed

The third Champions League clash in three years between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain has unsurprisingly turned into a heated affair, both on and off the pitch. The provocations so far have mostly stemmed from PSG's side, but the only thing that actually matters is whether they can translate their talking into a good result at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.

One of the biggest characters not only at PSG but also in modern football is Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was sent off in the second leg last season. Obviously, he'll try to avoid doing that again. Not that anyone should need any reminders that Zlatan is still a very dangerous player.

"What do I think of Zlatan? First and foremost, he's a top player, one that can be very dangerous on his day. Revenge? I don't know. For him it was unfortunate last time around but for his team it was positive because they went through."

"We've played PSG in the last two years; we've knocked them out and they've knocked us out so this game is set up perfectly. He's very vocal on the pitch, he liked the sound of his own voice in the last game but he deserves respect because he's a top player and one we'll have to watch out for."

But Ibrahimovic won't be the only motivated big character out there tomorrow.

"I think it's certainly a big week for us. We said that before the first game when we had that and Man City in the FA Cup. These are two huge games for the club, everyone knows about our situation in the league this season and it's a big chance for us to achieve something even though we know it's going to be very difficult."

"As players we realise the importance of the game. It's dangerous in football to look ahead, you focus on one game and see where that takes you. Top players enjoy playing in big games. Intense pressure brings out big performances in top players. We know what we have to do playing at home and we'll go out and do that to the best of our ability."

"Ultimately we feel responsible to go out and perform as best we can. We feel responsible when we put a Chelsea shirt on and play at Stamford Bridge. We know the game will be very difficult. We're all motivated, we know how important the game is for the fans, players and everyone involved."

We might not have a Zlatan, but we do have a Willian.  Afro over man-bun, all day, every day.

"Willian, from the time I've played with him, has improved month after month and season after season. This season has been his strongest in a Chelsea shirt and he's been one of our standout performers. He's very exciting for the fans to come and watch, we give him the ball and let him do his stuff."

"I'm sure the PSG players won't relish playing against him and on his day he's a very special player. He's certainly one we hope is on his game and can have an impact, but tomorrow night it will be full of top players."

Cahill, speaking at last night's pre-match press conference, also talked up Guus Hiddink, who lost his first ever Champions League match with Chelsea in the first leg.

"He's brought his experience having been involved in the game a very long time. He's brought a calmness around the place, a nice atmosphere where the pressure is on when it has to be but it's off when we have a chance to work at the training ground."

"For this game it needs both things. We know the pressure is there but this evening when we're together we need to be calm and relaxed, and then ready to do the job tomorrow in the game."

"It wasn't long ago that we were in the semi-finals against Atletico Madrid. We want to go as far as we can in the competition. We realise the quality of the teams involved and we face one of those tomorrow."

-Gary Cahill; Source: Chelsea FC

Mourinho's sacking relieved some of the pressure threatening to crush Chelsea into nothingness. Hiddink's calming influence was a good follow-up to that. But none of that will truly matter if we don't manage a few more good results.

This squad, while still carrying a lot of issues since the beginning of 2015, is the one which won the Premier League and the Capital One Cup last season. Tomorrow will be a great time for them to show their winning qualities once again.