Costa again continued his amazing rejuvenation by putting in a great striker's performance. He linked up well with Willian and caused Thiago and David trouble, for as long as he was on the pitch. Once he had to go off injured, and Hiddink had to look at his bench for a replacement, everyone knew that Chelsea having any chance of getting back in the game was officially over.
It's been the story of Chelsea's season. Their over-reliance on Costa and the inability to bring in a Plan B who can offer something different but can still just be as dangerous. That is vital when you're coming into the Champions League to not only come in with a very strong starting eleven, but also a good squad that can come on and give your team a fighting chance. If Remy and Traore are your replacements then you don't even deserve to continue the match.
But it's amazing how different Costa looks to how he's been at the start of the season. It's like a completely different player who runs, dribbles, and is playing like one of the most dangerous strikers in the world. Despite how good people say he was at Atletico Madrid, which is what got him noticed, nothing compares to what he's been doing since Hiddink has taken over. This is easily the best football he's played for his entire career, and there are not many strikers (not false nines) who are more dangerous than him.
If Costa had been fit for the whole match, Chelsea could have had a pretty good chance to beat PSG. Each time he got on the ball, Chelsea looked really threatening and you just felt there would be a chance that would come out of it. Costa has this no-fear direct way of playing, similar to the great Ronaldo from back in the day, but obviously not with the same level of technicality. Still, the way in which he ran straight at the PSG defense just caused so much fear that Chelsea could have gotten a few more goals in the second half.
You cannot expect to go far in the Champions League without a squad that is of the level of the competition. One can never assume that your best eleven will be fit for every match. So it's important to have players who can come in and maintain the high level. Traore and Remy are no way near Champions League level, they are even somewhat around Premiership standard. And that is what came to bite Chelsea in the rear-end. HH
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