Chelsea pull off great escape with extra time victory over Napoli to claim place in Champions League quarter-finals
An astonishing game, pulsating from end to end, shredding the nerves of all privileged to be present, was won by the team who believed most, who refused to give up.
Chelsea are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and they thoroughly deserve to be. This was a triumph of the spirit.
Chelsea kept the blue flag flying, keeping the battered Premier League standard still fluttering in the Champions League, because they kept going against all odds. Even when Napoli started so threateningly, Chelsea rallied, scoring through Didier Drogba and John Terry.
Even when Gokhan Inler unleashed a shot that could have broken their resolve, let alone their net, Chelsea simply went again. Frank Lampard converted an emphatic penalty that carried the game into extra time.
When Branislav Ivanovic scored, Chelsea protected their slim advantage defiantly to join Manchester United’s class of 1957 and Leeds United’s 1992 vintage as the only English team to progress in the European Cup after losing the first leg by two or more goals.
This was a testament to Chelsea’s character as well as the chaos frequently resident in Napoli’s defence. This was a tribute to Roberto Di Matteo’s high-tempo approach, vindication for his 4-2-3-1 system and his choice of personnel. This was the first leg in reverse.