Chelsea not favorite against PSG: Hiddink

LONDON — It is hard to imagine former boss Jose Mourinho ever calling Chelsea underdogs, but that’s how successor Guus Hiddink has described it before its Champions League Last 16 second leg clash against Paris St Germain Wednesday. The French champion heads to Stamford Bridge for the third successive season, having knocked Chelsea out at the same stage a year ago. It is again favorite according to Hiddink, following its 2-1 victory in the first leg in Paris on Feb. 16. The wily 69-year-old Dutchman may well be playing mind games, but, he says: “We are not the favorites. We have regained confidence and have quality, but let’s be very tough underdogs. We need to be angry in a controlled way on Wednesday, the players must be fully concentrated.” Chelsea’s results have improved since Mourinho left in December, losing only once — at PSG — in 18 matches in all competitions. A 1-0 win now will be enough to see it through on away goals. That is how it beat PSG in the quarterfinals two seasons ago and how PSG eliminated it last season. With the tie finely balanced that could well be the outcome again. Chelsea will almost certainly be without injured skipper John Terry but striker Diego Costa should be fit after missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City with a minor tendon injury. Former Chelsea defender David Luiz, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 and scored for PSG at Stamford Bridge last season, told uefa.com Monday he will always have an affection for Chelsea after spending three seasons there. But he was determined to see PSG knock it out. “My respect, my love for Chelsea, will always be the same,” the Brazil international said, “but I hope we can come out as winners there. PSG arrives on the back of some poor results after suffering its first Ligue 1 defeat in almost a year when it lost 2-1 at Olympique Lyonnais last weekend and drew 0-0 at home with Montpellier Saturday. Coach Laurent Blanc will probably have to replace key midfielder Marco Verratti with Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore because Verratti has a recurring groin problem. In the other encounter of the night, Benfica will field a makeshift rearguard when it travels to one of its least favorite hunting grounds to defend a 1-0 Champions League lead at Zenit St Petersburg. The Primeira Liga winner is missing three central defenders plus goalkeeper Julio Cesar for the last-16 second leg at the Petrovskiy Stadium. Luisao and Lisandro Lopez are injured and Jardel is suspended. That leaves Victor Lindelof, who started the season as a reserve, as the only recognized central defender in the squad. Right back Andre Almeida is also banned while Julio Cesar will be replaced by fellow Brazilian Ederson because of a thigh injury. Zenit boss Andre Villas-Boas, who faced Benfica seven times as coach of Portuguese rivals Academica Coimbra and Porto, said the supporters could lift his side to victory and a first-ever quarterfinal place. — Agencies