Chelsea beat Leicester City in extra time, enter FA Cup semi-finals
Opening the score at the end of the first half, but Conte and his team had to wait until the 105th minute to score the winning goal to secure a 2-1 victory in the quarter-final match on March 18.
| Watch video highlights Leicester 1-2 Chelsea |
Amidst the difficulties, Chelsea opened the door to the semi-finals with a moment of brilliance. Pedro was there at the right time to meet a cross from former Leicester star N'golo Kante and head home the goal that decided the fate of the latest FA Cup quarter-final tie this season.
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Pedro scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win for Chelsea. Photo: CFC |
After losing hope of defending the Premier League title, falling out of the League Cup and Champions League, the FA Cup became the only lifeline left for Chelsea to hope to escape empty-handed this season.
And the semi-final draw results, which came right after the match at King Power yesterday, gave Conte and his team a great opportunity when they were drawn against Southampton, avoiding two heavyweight opponents Man Utd and Tottenham.
But before enjoying the joy of victory and the best possible draw, Chelsea endured a difficult 120 minutes at the King Power.
Leicester started the game better and almost opened the scoring early on, if Albrighton's volley had been a little more accurate. The home side had another chance later when Albrighton's corner was headed by Wes Morgan, who headed just over the bar.
Morata returned to the starting lineup to replace Giroud and appeared determined to find a goal. But it was not until the 43rd minute, after a few missed shots, that the $92 million striker was able to satisfy his desire.
From a counter-attack, Willian beat two home players and passed to Morata. After a few touches, he beat Kasper Schmeichel with a shot into the far bottom corner. This was the first time Morata scored since opening the scoring in the 2-0 win over Brighton on December 26.
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Morata ending his nearly three-month goal drought is a good sign for Chelsea. Photo: BBC |
But that opening goal did not help Chelsea improve in the second half, and on the contrary, they were equalized in the 75th minute after a situation of fumbled defense. The ball went through Mahrez and Vardy before Iborra fired two shots. Chelsea goalkeeper Caballero saved Iborra's second shot, but Vardy was there in time to score the rebound.
In the last 15 minutes of regular time, the goalkeepers of both teams continuously shined, denying the opponent's shots, bringing the match into two extra halves.
Both teams had good chances in the extra 30 minutes, but only Chelsea took advantage of the situation when former home star Kante crossed the ball for Pedro to beat his old teammate Schmeichel.
