• Champions League

Inferior Chelsea don't worry us - Lavezzi

ESPN staff
April 1, 2014
Cavani looking for Chelsea revenge

Ezequiel Lavezzi has added extra spice to Chelsea's Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday by suggesting the Ligue 1 champions are superior to Jose Mourinho's side.

Chelsea travel to Paris for their last eight first-leg on the back of a shock Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace, which Mourinho believes has killed their Premier League title hopes.

Torres out - one way or another

  • Fernando Torres appears to be one of the players with whom Jose Mourinho has run out of patience and is facing a Chelsea exit in the summer even if it is only on loan.
  • The manager claimed some of his squad only get motivated for the biggest games and wants a clearout and Torres' record of four goals in 23 Premier League games this season, compared to his four in six Champions League matches, is unlikely to have impressed.
  • The £50 million Spaniard's likely cost in terms of wages and transfer fee would make him difficult to move on but, according to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea are prepared to loan him out, with Inter and Atletico Madrid, whose striker Diego Costa is coveted by Mourinho, interested.

PSG have not been shy with their public courting of Stamford Bridge duo Oscar and Eden Hazard, but Mourinho insists it would take an offer of at least £300m to tempt his club.

"Chelsea are a big team, but it did not matter who we drew as we don't fear anybody," winger Lavezzi said. "We have to respect Chelsea, of course, because they have a successful coach and very good players, but if you ask me who are the superior team, then I have to say PSG."

Chelsea have a shot at getting through to the semi-finals in Europe for the seventh time in 10 years but will have to subdue PSG's impressive strike force: Mourinho's former charge Zlatan Ibrahimovic and long-time Chelsea target Edinson Cavani.

Demba Ba recently dismissed Laurent Blanc's frontline but, with Mourinho experiencing striker issues of his own, Lavezzi is proud of the strength of the PSG squad.

"We have built one of the strongest teams in the world - and we feel that now this is our time.

"PSG has now arrived at a level where anything is possible. We are at a level where we attract the best players in the world, where we can beat any team in the world, and of course where we can win the Champions League."

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