Chelsea grabbed the Europa League semi-finals despite losing by 3-2 to Rubin Kazan in the second leg of their quarter-final on Thursday. In another game, Premier League opponent Newcastle crashed out.
The London club scored 5-4 in aggregate after winning by 3-1 goals in last week’s first leg and remained in line to win the Europa League after one year of triumphing in the Champions League.
The game was played on an artificial surface at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, 800 kms west of Rubin's home in Tatarstan on Thursday. The reason is that, UEFA dominated the Russian club's own pitch to be in an unsuitable condition.
Chelsea fans will everlastingly connect the Luzhniki with their team's agonizing penalty shoot-out smash to Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final. Although this occasion had a very poles apart feeling, the 80,000-capacity stadium was hardly a quarter full.
The Premier League side started brilliantly, spearheading in the fourth minute when Fernando Torres netted a brace in the first leg. He lobbied into an empty net as Rubin 'keeper Sergei Ryzhikov flashed out of his area.
Rubin were given some optimism when Spanish defender Ivan Marcano advanced in a cross from compatriot Pablo Orbaiz six minutes into the second half. However Victor Moses soon refurbished Chelsea's dominance on the night, playing a one-two with Ramires and subsequently kicking a shot into the net from a distance of 15 yards. This goal reminded the Russians to score four times without reply to liberate the tie.
Captain Gokdeniz Karadeniz pulled one back before Bebras Natcho changed a penalty after Cesar Azpilicueta was rudely penalized for a foul on Aleksandr Ryazantsev in the box. This permitted Rubin to win the match on the night. On the other side, Chelsea’s interim manager Rafael Benitez was delighted to enter the semi-final draw. He clarified that the score line doesn't matter much. They did a professional job and he is really pleased with the players. He added that playing on this pitch and in that atmosphere was not easy, but the main thing for them was to do the job.
Newcastle ended up in a 1-1 draw by Benfica but was squashed by 4-2 on the aggregate after a 3-1 attacking in Portugal in the first leg. Papiss Cisse awarded the English side a 71st-minute lead on the night at St James Park, kicking in the ball after good work by Hatem Ben Arfa and Shola Ameobi. But any expectation of a dramatic victory was smashed out in the extra-time by an Eduardo Salvio leveller.
Fenerbache arrived at their first European semi-final after a 1-1 draw in Italy against Lazio which gave them a 3-1 aggregate win. Senad Lulic pushed Lazio ahead on the hour mark inside an empty Olympic Stadium in Rome as a punishment for the Italian side's lamenting record over racism.
Within 73 minutes, Caner Erkin equalized to thrust the Turks into semi-final draw on Friday.
In another game, Basel and Tottenham drew 2-2 for a 4-4 aggregate with the match advancing into extra-time in Switzerland.
