Away goals come to Blues’ aid as they progress to the semis

15/04/2021 | Categories: Football betting | Published by: Andy Nelson

Updated: 1st June 2023

2020-21 UEFA Champions League quarter finals second leg – Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Chelsea 0 Porto 1 – Chelsea win 2-1 on aggregate

Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea survived a spectacular late strike from Mehdi Taremi as they overcame Porto to ensure a berth in the 2020-21 Champions League semi-finals after a span of seven years.

Porto coming into the second leg with a 0-2 deficit were disappointingly cautious as they hardly threatened the rival goal throughout the game. The Portuguese club who had knocked out Juventus in the last 16 in dramatic fashion, did look intense in the first half but lacked the adequate finish.

They almost scored early on when Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy made a mess of a back pass from Antonio Rudiger as the ball went straight to opposition winger Jesus Corona, who fortunately for the Blues, was quickly closed down by Jorginho.

Chelsea were happy to sit back as neither side registered a shot on target until the 66th minute when Taremi's weak header went straight to Mendy.

Porto burst out of the traps in the second half, but it was the West London outfit who had the first opportunity to extend their aggregate on the break as an unmarked Christian Pulisic failed to connect properly to Ben Chilwell's cut-back from just ten yards out.

Sergio Conceicao's men showed urgency in the dying minutes when Taremi produced an acrobatic overhead kick from Nanu's cross that flew to top corner beating Mendy all ends up to give Porto their lone goal of the tie.

But the Iranian's strike came a bit too late as Porto bid adieu to the tournament even as Chelsea saw out the remaining 60 seconds of the Sevilla second leg game.

Outstanding performances from Rudiger, N'Golo Kante and Pulisic in particular, ensured a somewhat easy passage for Tuchel's second straight entry into the semi-final where his men meet the winners of the Liverpool-Real Madrid tie.

Chelsea starting XI: Mendy (goal), Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell, Mount, Havertz, Pulisic

Subs: Ziyech, Giroud

Porto starting XI: Marchesin (goal), Manafa, Mbemba, Pepe, Zaidu, Sergio Oliveira, Grujic, Uribe, Corona, Marega, Otavio

Subs: Taremi, Nanu, Evanilson, Luiz Diaz, Vieira