The odds are against Liam Rosenior: Only one manager have achieved this in the last 15 years in the Champions League
Chelsea face a huge challenge in the Champions League tonight, and the statistics suggest the odds are firmly stacked against Blues boss Liam Rosenior.
The West London side will go head-to-head with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, managed by Luis Enrique. With PSG coming into the tie as the reigning champions of Europe, Chelsea will enter the clash as clear underdogs.
But there is an even more daunting statistic that highlights just how difficult this task could be for Rosenior.
History shows that managers facing the defending champions in their first-ever Champions League knockout tie almost never win.
In the last 15 occasions, only one manager has managed to come out on top. That rare success came back in the 2010/11 Champions League quarter-final when Ralf Rangnick led Schalke 04 to a stunning 5-2 first-leg victory over Inter Milan.
Aside from Rangnick’s famous win, the trend has been brutal for managers in similar situations.
The numbers don’t look good
Out of those 15 matches:
• 9 ended in defeat for the manager facing the defending champions
• Only 1 victory has been recorded
• The rest finished as draws
It’s a statistic that highlights the magnitude of the task ahead for Rosenior and Chelsea.
Can Chelsea defy the odds?
If the Blues do manage to pull it off, it would instantly go down as one of the club’s most memorable European results.
One thing is certain: Chelsea will need something special to shock PSG.
Chelsea fans — can the Blues defy the odds against PSG? 🔵
