Chelsea has qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday evening. A week after the 0-2 victory over FC Porto in the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuan, the stadium of Sevilla was the setting again and the reunion between the teams of Sérgio Conceição and Thomas Tuchel ended thanks to a goal in extra time in 0-1. Hakim Ziyech did not leave the bench last week and this time was allowed to participate in the last minutes as a substitute. In the semi-finals, which will be finished in two and three weeks, Real Madrid or Liverpool are the next opponent.
Neither FC Porto nor Chelsea managed to get even one attempt between the posts in the first 45 minutes. That had only happened in one Champions League match before this season: the group match between Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros in December. Chelsea could call itself the moral winner anyway after the sound of the halftime signal. On the one hand because of the result of the first game and on the other hand because the most danger in the first half came from FC Porto.
AUW! ?? The Portuguese butcher immediately asserts ?????? Should have got Pepe red here after 3 minutes? ??#ZiggoSport #UCL #CHEPOR pic.twitter.com/IuXiUhZJwj
– Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) April 13, 2021
After eleven minutes of play, Edouard Mendy got the ball back from Antonio Rüdiger and then the goalkeeper pushed the ball into the feet of Jesús Corona just before the penalty area. Jorginho was able to block the Mexican’s bet in time. More than twenty minutes carelessness on the part of the English once again formed the basis of an opportunity for FC Porto. Ben Chilwell judged a pass from Chancel Mbemba, after which Corona came face to face with Mendy. However, the stakes were high on the goal.
Tuchel’s team came out of the dressing room better after the break and regularly created danger around the goal area of Agustín Marchesín. After preparatory work by Mason Mount and Chilwell, Christian Pulisic did not get his shot on target and minutes later, Wilson Manafá threw himself for a shot from Mount. FC Porto made a slow impression on the ball and lacked creativity, but after more than an hour of play, the Conceição team still had a view of the 1-0: the header from Mehdi Taremi after a pass from Corona lacked power and was ultimately an easy one. prey for Mendy.
WOW! ?? It came too late, but FC Porto’s final chord is there? Mehdi Taremi with a big contender for goal of the year ??#ZiggoSport #UCL #CHEPOR pic.twitter.com/BWbw7fFmM3
– Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) April 13, 2021
FC Porto also tried towards the final signal, but the predominance in terms of possession was mainly before the halfway line and once at Chelsea’s half, the Conceição team did not become dangerous and the ball was lost. The Londoners, meanwhile, had long been at peace with the standings. Ziyech came on for Mount four minutes before time and that was also the first substitution of Tuchel, who later also stretched time with the entrance of Olivier Giroud. FC Porto did manage to score, although it was ultimately insufficient to force an extension. Taremi’s truly stunning bicycle kick was too powerful for Mendy and that marked Chelsea’s first Champions League defeat this season.