Chelsea saw their hopes of overturning a three-goal deficit vanish as Paris Saint-Germain raced into a 2-0 lead inside the first 14 minutes of their Champions League clash.
The match proved a tough introduction for 20-year-old Mamadou Sarr. With Reece James sidelined by injury and Malo Gusto unwell, Sarr was deployed out of position at right-back. A costly miscontrol allowed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia a clear run to score in the sixth minute.
The second goal came from a moment of individual brilliance, as Bradley Barcola received the ball on the edge of the Chelsea area, took one touch, and fired a precise shot into the top corner.
Sarr was substituted at half-time for Josh Acheampong, while head coach Liam Rosenior made three further changes before the hour mark, mindful of a challenging trip to Everton on Saturday. Chelsea must win that match to maintain hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Senny Mayulu added a third shortly after, delivering one of Chelsea’s heaviest two-legged defeats in history. The Blues ended the game with ten men after Trevoh Chalobah was carried off on a stretcher, with no substitutions remaining.
