Laurent’s Blanc check: Ibra answered his critics, says manager

Swede scores one, sets up another as PSG down Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate in last-16 clash

LONDON:

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc said that Zlatan Ibrahimovic had answered his critics by inspiring his team to victory over Chelsea in the Champions League last-16.

Ibrahimovic created the opening goal for Adrien Rabiot and then volleyed in a 67th-minute winner as French champions PSG won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to complete a 4-2 aggregate victory.

The outspoken Swede, sent off during PSG’s success against Chelsea in last season’s competition, has faced criticism throughout his career for failing to reproduce his domestic form in European competition, but Blanc said that he had proven his worth.

“Zlatan played a match in keeping with what he’s done this season,” the former France defender told reporters in his post-match press conference. “You always have doubts because it’s Ligue 1. That’s the truth. You ask if he can play like that in the Champions League. He gave his response tonight.”



Blanc was understandably gushing about his star man. “He has important qualities for us. He moves the two centre-backs around in the opposing team,” he said. “Technically he sees things very quickly. When he drops deep — which we ask him to do — he helps put our game in place. He played a great match like lots of PSG players tonight, like pretty much the whole team.”

Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink also heralded Ibrahimovic, whose contract expires at the end of the season, when he was asked if the 34-year-old could cut it in the Premier League.

“He’s proven already many, many years what kind of player he is,” said the Dutchman, who lost goal-scorer Diego Costa and Eden Hazard to injury in the second half. “He’s a personality, he’s the boss in this team and they use him perfectly. He’s not the youngest, but for his age, for a footballer he’s doing very well.”

With Chelsea 10 points below the top four in the Premier League, they face next season being almost certainly their first without Champions League football since Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.



Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Everton represents their last potential path to silverware this season and Hiddink said the club’s hierarchy would need to think hard about their next managerial appointment.

“Chelsea is now in a transition period,” said Hiddink, who has returned last season’s Premier League champions to an even keel after succeeding the sacked Jose Mourinho in December. “They have to see how to go on and try to regain the lost terrain where Chelsea used to be. Chelsea must consider its short future, how to handle this.”

Late goals help Benfica down Zenit

Nicolas Gaitan and Talisca scored late goals as Benfica came from behind to beat Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-1 in Russia and march on to the Champions League quarter-finals 3-1 on aggregate.

Trailing 1-0 from last month’s first leg, Zenit levelled the tie when Hulk opened the scoring on the night in the 69th minute and extra time was looming when Gaitan stunned the Petrovsky Stadium by netting five minutes from time.



Substitute Talisca wrapped up the victory with the last kick of the game as the Portuguese league leaders progressed to the last-eight of the Champions League for the first time since 2012, when they also eliminated Zenit at this stage.

“With full respect to our opponents I was confident that we would make it through to the quarter-finals before kick-off,” said Benfica coach Rui Vitoria. “We played really well, we scored two goals and I believe we were the better side and won deservedly.”

Benfica travelled to Russia with the edge in the tie thanks to a solitary late strike by Jonas in the first leg last month but Zenit will rue a host of missed chances in the second half at the Petrovsky Stadium as their dream of reaching the Champions League last-eight for the first time died in the chill of Saint Petersburg. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2016.

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