Chelsea steal through to semis
Essien's late winner took the Blues' to probable meeting with Liverpool
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Tuesday, 10, Apr 2007 11:54
Chelsea made it through to the semi-finals of the Champions League thanks to a second-half comeback, culminating in a 90th-minute goal for to secure a 2-1 win over Valencia.
Michael Essien's injury-time winner, which thundered past Santiago Canizares at his near post, completed what had seemed an unlikely scoreline in a first half that demonstrated how the hosts had disposed of Italian league leaders Inter Milan in the previous round.
Squeezing the life out of the Blues' attacks at one end, the Mestalla outfit were full of spark and invention at the other.
The sight of David Villa cutting in toward goal put John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho on high alert, but only the frame of the goal prevented the visitors falling behind after a deft pass from the former Real Zaragoza man picked out Fernando Morientes' dart in behind the defence.
But Morientes was not to be denied long and two minutes later he slid in to poke home a cross from Joaquim and set Jose Mourinho a stiff test of managerial ability for the second half.
The Portuguese tactician opted to throw on Joe Cole in a revised 4-3-3 formation and the switch had an immediate effect.
Just seven minutes into the second period Essien, redeployed on the right wing, crossed into a congested penalty box and Andrei Shevchenko slotted home after a confused scuffle.
The goal signalled the start of concerted Chelsea pressure but it seemed that Canazares' heroics had bought the hosts another half-hour in which to turn the tide with an incredible save from Michael Ballack five minutes from time.
Essien, however, delivered the knockout blow with a sweetly-struck drive that slipped past the Spanish international and set up what is likely to be an all-English semi-final against Liverpool.