Marcel Desailly believes Chelsea can seal Champions League semi-final place in first-leg against PSG

Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly believes his former side will be as good as through if they win away at Paris Saint Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Jose Mourinho’s side will travel to the French capital on Wednesday looking to bounce back from their shock 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Former France international Desailly, who made 222 appearances for Chelsea, believes the outcome of the overall tie will be decided at the Parc des Princes.

“It’s going to be a tough game,” the 45-year-old told talkSPORT. “All will be decided in Paris.

“If Chelsea manage to score or succeed in Paris, I don’t see PSG coming back to Stamford Bridge. With the statistics Chelsea have at home, Paris can’t win.”

But despite the magnitude of the task that lies ahead for Laurent Blanc’s team, Desailly believes the expectations of success are as high as ever.

“We are all expecting something from Paris,” Desailly said. “Last year they lost the quarter-final to Barcelona.

“In France, every single person is expecting them to go through to at least the semi-final to improve on last year.”

He added: “The Champions League has the sweetness now – the French league doesn’t attract them anymore.

“They’ve won [Ligue 1] two times already, they really want the Champions League.”