Chelsea defied the odds by scoring twice against PSG after being 3-1 down in the first leg to win on away goals to reach the semi-final of the Champions League. PHOTO: AFP
LONDON: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hailed his side’s ‘special spirit’ after a dramatic late goal by Demba Ba propelled them into the Champions League semi-finals at Paris Saint-Germain’s expense.
Despite trimming PSG’s 3-1 aggregate lead through Andre Schuerrle, Chelsea were heading out of the competition until Ba bundled home in the 87th minute of Tuesday’s quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge to send his team through on away goals.
Although Mourinho described the victory over PSG as ‘nothing extraordinary’, he said the belief that his players had shown augured well for the last four.
“We’re in the semi-finals and if the quarter-finals had eight fantastic teams, imagine the four that are going to reach the semi-finals,” said Mourinho.
“Anything can happen. A big opponent is waiting for us in the semi-finals, but I think it doesn’t matter who. They know that we are the team with special spirit, even if we are not at the maximum of our potential.”
Mourinho hailed Ba’s decisive contribution after electing to send him on instead of Fernando Torres in the 66th minute.
“He’s a good guy, a good professional, a good group man. I’m very happy for him,” said the Portuguese.
For PSG, it was a second successive quarter-final defeat on away goals, after last season’s elimination at the hands of Barcelona.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc said that his side could not use the supposed inferiority of Ligue 1 as an excuse.
“We can’t hide behind that,” said Blanc. “Journalists often denigrate Ligue 1 compared to the Champions League, but we can’t always use that as an excuse.”
‘Dortmund defeat a Real wake-up call’
Captain Iker Casillas said Real Madrid were given a Champions League wake-up call as they lost 2-0 to last season’s beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund in their quarter-final second leg match but still went through to the last four 3-2 on aggregate on Tuesday.
“Maybe it’s good for us to receive a wake-up call like that from time to time,” said Casillas.
“We committed errors at the back that cost us and we cannot repeat them in the semi-finals.”
Real squandered the chance of an early lead after Angel Di Maria had his penalty saved by Dortmund captain Roman Weidenfeller. Meanwhile, German winger Marco Reus scored both Borussia’s goals to spark hopes of the hosts reaching the semi-finals.
However, Real held on but patently missed their star performer Cristiano Ronaldo, who was on the bench because of an in jury.
Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp delivered on his pre-match promise that his side would bow out in style.
“This game is one for the archives, a video must be made and all teams who lose the first leg 3-0 must be shown it to say, ‘it can still happen’,” said Klopp.
“I am proud of the image the boys have given.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2014.
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