Manchester United powered into the semi-finals of the Champions League here Tuesday, downing Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford to clinch a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Manchester United powered into the semi-finals of the Champions League here Tuesday, downing Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford to clinch a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Goals from Mexican striker Javier Hernandez and South Korean international Park Ji-Sung either side of a lone Chelsea effort from Didier Drogba clinched a deserved victory for United in front of 74,672 fans.
The win put Sir Alex Ferguson's side into a semi-final against either Schalke 04 or holders Inter Milan, who play each other on Wednesday.
United, leading 1-0 from last week's first leg at Stamford Bridge, were worthy victors against a Chelsea side who struggled to match their opponents' precision in the final third.
An open first half saw Chelsea, lining up in their more familiar 4-3-3 formation, enjoy plenty of possession and territory without ever really threatening United's goal.
Chelsea's best chance came after 15 minutes, when a surging run from Florent Malouda, operating on the left side of a front three with Torres and Nicolas Anelka, took him deep into United territory.
The Frenchman threaded his pass through to Frank Lampard but the England midfielder was unable to get a clean shot off and his low effort lacked the power to trouble Edwin van der Sar in the United goal.
United had the ball in the net on 26 minutes when an exquisite curling cross from the right from Wayne Rooney was turned in by Hernandez, the young Mexican stooping to head home only to be given marginally off-side.
An increasingly niggly opening spell saw three Chelsea players find their way into referee Olegario Benquerenca's book, Ramires, Malouda and John Terry all picking up yellow cards against a lone caution for United's John O'Shea.
Two minutes from half-time United got the goal that their more incisive play merited. A lovely ball from O'Shea saw Ryan Giggs race into the Chelsea area and the veteran's low cross found Hernandez who buried from point-blank range.
Ancelotti had clearly seen enough of the misfiring Torres for one night, and Chelsea came out for the second half with Drogba at centre-forward.
Drogba did not take long to make more of an impression than Torres, turning his marker and sending a low shot flying just wide on 56 minutes.
Chelsea's problems deepened on 70 minutes when Ramires followed through on Nani to pick up his second yellow and be sent off.
Yet just as Chelsea looked dead and buried, Drogba gave Chelse a flicker of hope with a fine goal on 77 minutes, latching on to a through ball from Michael Essien, controlling with his chest and drilling in to make it 1-1.
Thoughts of a Chelsea Houdini act were short-lived however, and United made it 2-1 on the night a minute later when Park latched on to a lovely ball from Giggs and swept past Cech.
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| Javier Hernandez |
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| Fernando Torres |
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| Park Ji Sung |
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| Ramires |
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