Manchester United 2 (3) Chelsea 1 (1)
Champions League Quarter-Final
Chelsea‘s Champions’ League dream is over once again as they went down 2-1 at Old Trafford, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Manchester United in the quarter-final stage.
Didier Drogba came off the bench at half-time to score with 13 minutes remaining to level the score on the night after a Hernandez first-half poke-in.
But within 50 seconds United restored their goal advantage through JS Park and thus effectively ended the Blues quest for European glory.
Misfiring Fernando Torres started in place of Drogba and it was this miscalculation which will surely test the patience of Blues’ owner Roman Abramovich.
Already 1-0 down from the first leg Chelsea started brightly with good possession.
On six minutes Ramires almost forced his way through the United defence.
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti dropped Didier Drogba, replacing the Ivory Coast striker with Fernando Torres, who on 11 minutes headed a glancing ball just wide of Edwin Van der Sar right upright.
A minute later and Ramires almost scored a bizarre own goal – the ball bouncing off his shin from a Hernandez byline cross.
Chelsea strike force of Nicolas Anelka and Torres almost saw the Frenchman screwed the ball wide from 10 yards.
Lampard had a fantastic chance on 15 minutes – excellent build-up play saw the England midfielder side foot the ball towards goal when a blaster was in order. Van der Sar was alive to the low strike and grabbed it confidently.
John O’Shea upended Michael Essien to receive a yellow on 19 minutes.
From the resultant free-kick, wide on the left, Lampard over hit the ball over the United crossbar.
Anelka had a fine half-volley on 21 minutes which, from just ouside the United penalty area inched just wide of the United goal.
Hernandez had the ball in the back of the net on 26minutes through a Hernandez volley from fine cross by Wayne Rooney, but the South American was just offside.
Van der Sar was United’s saviour again on 30 minutes, racing out from goal to foil a livewire break from Anelka.
A quick counter attack by United on 32 minutes saw Hernandez fouled by Ramires who was promptly yellow –carded.
Florent Malouda followed his teammate in the book for a foul on Nani on 37 minutes.
Four minutes later and John Terry became the third Chelsea player, receiving a received a yellow for a yellow card for a foul on Hernandez.
But with 2 minutes before the break United took the lead.
A long ball by Rooney found Giggs who completed a fine0one-two with Carrick before sliding the ball to the far post where Hernandez prodded the ball home from close range.
Carlo Ancelotti finally conceded what everyone else has known for weeks and n that is Torres was not performing and he was replaced by Drogba for his 300th game.
United took early control of the ball in the opening stages of the second half with neither team threatening the goals.
Drogba had the first effort on 57 minutes but his long range turn and shot went comfortably wide.
Patrice Evra entered the book on 57 minutes for a foul on Drogba. The resultant dipping free kick cleared.
Salomon Kalou then took Anelka’s place on 60 minutes as Ancelotti went in search of the two goals needed to turn the tie around.
United‘s Nani forced Petr Cech into a smart diving save to his left on 68 minutes , pushing the long-range effort away for a corner.
Giggs could have sealed it two minutes later, but he weakly headed a cross from Rooney wide.
A minute later and Ramires was red-carded for a second bookable offence leaving the visitors with an almost impossible task.
Drogba did his level best to get a goal back on 73 minutes but another turn and shot with his left foot failed to trouble Van der Sar.
On 75 minutes Antonio Valencia replaced Nani.
As if to prove Abramovich and Ancelotti wrong by not starting him, Drogba pierced the United rearguard with a wonderful right-footed blaster with just 14 minutes remaining.
Within seconds United went up the other end and scored when JS Park, inspired by Giggs’s pass slotted home a left-footer to restore United’s lead.
Ancelotti’s final throw of the die was to replace Alex for Paulo Ferreira with nine minutes left.
With three minutes left 40-year-old Van der Sar produced a fine full body save from a Long-range effort from Malouda.