There it was again. The manic touchline run. It was how we were introduced to Jose Mourinho, a decade ago, and how we will remember him after he is gone, too.
Cesar Azpilicueta shot, the ball caught a tiny hold-up deflection and fell to substitute Demba Ba. It wasn’t, fair to say, the cleanest finish. Ba almost scooped it into the roof of the net, off his boot, off his shin, somehow looping over goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. No-one cared.
Chelsea were through, and off went Mourinho, down the line to join the celebrations by the corner flag, just as he had done when Porto equalised at Old Trafford to eliminate Manchester United in the same competition in 2004.
This, like that, was one of his greatest nights. Chelsea have come back from 3-1 down before in the Champions League, but not at this late stage and not against a team with the potential of Paris Saint-Germain.
Those looking for omens will be heartened, though. Reversing a 3-1 defeat by Napoli two years ago was part of the campaign that ended in Champions League victory under Roberto Di Matteo.
He is a shrewd one, though, Mourinho, so do not imagine for one moment that his dash to meet his players was inspired by elation only.
For a manager with no strikers, he had three on the pitch by then, and was probably telling them for what remained of the game they had to think defence first. A goal from PSG at that point would have eliminated Chelsea, surely. Amazingly, they nearly got it.
This was a night for old-fashioned heroes and none loomed larger than Petr Cech in Chelsea’s goal. After his poor performance in the first leg, at fault for two goals, here was the reason Mourinho may yet resist bringing Thibault Courtois back from Atletico Madrid next season.
Cech was outstanding, most memorably four minutes into injury time when tipping around a low shot for substitute Marquinhos. Stamford Bridge was holding its breath by then; the visitors equally desperate.
In the 52nd minute, a flowing exchange of passes ended with Oscar playing the ball out to Willian on the right. The Brazilian cut it back to Andre Schurrle who smashed his shot against the bar with goalkeeper Sirigu beaten. The ball came out and Lucas clumsily fouled Eto’o. A free-kick was awarded 25 yards out. Oscar took it and – crossbar again. Sirigu was truly leading a charmed life. At that moment the momentum was wholly with Chelsea. It was barely believable that, 35 minutes later, the score was still 1-0 and Paris were clinging on.
Really, the difference was nerve. Chelsea are a team that do not know when they are beaten, certainly in Europe, while Paris Saint-Germain have a touch of Manchester City about them.
They are still feeling their way through this tournament as a group and, when the pressure is on, they failed the test. Midway through the second-half, Edinson Cavani was put through by Yohan Cabaye, one on one.
The PSG bench was on its feet, preparing to celebrate, but Cavani shot over. If the game had a turning point, there it was.
Had that gone in, Chelsea were as good as dead. The same could be said of Cech’s save from a free-kick by Ezequiel Lavezzi in the 55th minute – Branislav Ivanovic’s booking for the foul on Blaise Matuidi takes him out of the next match – or his stop from a low strike by Lucas.
With a single goal taking the required margin of victory to 4-1, Chelsea were always vulnerable. The glory goes to the goalscorers, but the worth of that nil cannot be underestimated, either.
