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A brilliantly taken goal by Demba Ba gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester United in an FA Cup sixth-round replay at Stamford Bridge on Monday, setting up a semi-final clash against Manchester City.
The Senegal international, who had only scored once for Chelsea in his previous 10 appearances, struck in the 49th minute when he allowed a lofted ball from Juan Mata to drift over his shoulder before stretching to volley it into the far corner beyond a helpless David De Gea.
A stunning save from Chelsea's Petr Cech (below) 14 minutes later was the other highlight of an otherwise relatively tame game, the keeper acrobatically stretching back to tip a header from Javier Hernandez over the bar.
Chelsea the 2011 winners, at Wembley on April 14. Championship (second tier) side Millwall will Premier League Wigan Athletic in the other semi at Wembley the day before.
Chelsea's interim manager Rafael Benitez could yet end the season with two trophies as Senegalese striker Demba Ba settled the tie with a memorable goal early in the second half to send Chelsea into the last four for the sixth time in eight seasons.
"This win gives us great for confidence for the rest of the season", said Chelsea star Ba in a post match interview to the BBC.
Winners of four of the last six tournaments, Chelsea will play Manchester City in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium on April 14.
Despite his unpopularity with the Chelsea fans, Benitez eyes double glory as Russians Rubin Kazan await the blues in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday.
United, meanwhile, have now gone nine years without winning the FA Cup, having seen hopes of a league, cup and Champions League treble evaporate in the space of a month.
Their 15-point lead in the Premier League means they are virtually guaranteed to succeed City as champions, but manager Alex Ferguson faces the odd prospect of an end to the campaign with nothing to play for.
Benitez complained that Ferguson snubbed his offer of a handshake prior to the 2-2 draw in the sides' first meeting, but the United manager put the matter to bed by offering Benitez a perfunctory handshake as the Spaniard emerged from the tunnel.
Instead, the day's first headlines were created by Ferguson's team selection.
With Wayne Rooney absent due to a groin injury and Robin van Persie on the bench, Danny Welbeck supported Javier Hernandez in attack, while Phil Jones bolstered the midfield.
Benitez made six changes to the team beaten at Southampton on Saturday, and if there was unfamiliarity in the two line-ups, it told in a very cautious opening.
Neither goalkeeper was tested until United number one David de Gea blocked from Ba in the 31st minute, by which time the hosts had already lost Ashley Cole to an apparent hamstring injury.
United's imprecision in attack forced them to rely on shots from range, with Nani drilling narrowly wide from 25 yards and Hernandez almost embarrassing Petr Cech with a skidding shot that the Czech goalkeeper kicked away in unorthodox fashion.
The creative players were beginning to come into the game though, and at the other end Eden Hazard bent a shot over the bar from Oscar's lay-off.
Juan Mata had been quiet, but four minutes into the second half he created the opening goal with a lofted pass that Ba hooked past De Gea with a sublime volley.
A United equaliser seemed certain in the 61st minute when Hernandez ghosted in to meet Welbeck's cross with a close-range header, but Cech showed astonishing reflexes to deflect the ball over the bar.
Ferguson sent on van Persie, followed by Ryan Giggs, by which time Mata had threatened to extend the hosts' lead by thrashing a shot into the side netting.
United had another close shave moments later, with Hazard seizing on a loose pass from Michael Carrick and bearing down on goal, only to roll his shot wide from 12 yards.
Ramires, Mata and Oscar also shot wide, while van Persie sent both of United's best chances of an equaliser over the crossbar.
Mata could even have made it 2-0 in the 89th minute, but after a neat exchange with Hazard, his shot was fielded by De Gea.
MATCH STATISTICS
Manchester United had more ball possesion.
Yellow cards
Chelsea:
Manchester United:
FULL TIME Chelsea 1-0 (Demba Ba 49")
Ba is replaced by Fernando Torres.
90+2 Great cross from Young is met by Van Persie but he heads over from 10 yards.
Oscar is replaced by Moses and four minutes has been added to the full time play
89" Oscar yellow carded for a foul on Young.
88" Mata is booked for a foul on Valencia.
87" Chelsea counter and Mata finds space on the edge of the box but his shot is saved.
84" Ba tackles Smalling off the ball in the box and get in a shot, but he is harshly penalised for a foul.
81" United's travelling fans strongly urge their side on.
United attack agrressively in bid to cancel the slender lead held by the Blues.
SUBSTITUTION! United's Ashley Young goes in for Welbeck.
76" Mata and Hazard link on the edge of the box with Jones getting a foot in, but Mata gets a adge to blasts it wide.
YELLOW CARD Azpilicueta is booked for a foul on Welbeck.
74" Mikel wins an important header for the hosts on the edge of his own box before Welbeck is penalised for a foul.
73" Valencia finds room down the right and tries an ambitious angled shot from 25 yards that is wide.
72" United are pressing and Chelsea looking to hit on the counter.
69" Smalling almost lets in Hazard on the halfway line, but the Chelsea man slips.
68" Cech is put under pressure by a Ivanovic backpass, but does well to kick it downfield.
67" Giggs looks for the run of Welbeck in the box, but Cech reads well to thwart the danger.
66" Scoring opportunities for Chelsea but United are not giving in yet without a fight.
65" Hazard grabs a loose pass from Carrick but with the United defence trailing he shoots the ball wide with just De Gea to beat.
SUBSTITUTION for United sees Ryan Giggs on for Nani with Jones going to rightback.
62" Mata demands a corner but nothing given even though replays suggest it was a good save.
61" Mata drifts into the United box but blasts the ball into the side-netting.
60" A fantastic save! Will it earn Chelsea a semi-final spot?
59" Save of the season from Cech (below) who turns over a point-blank header from Hernandez who got on the end of a driven cross from Welbeck.
Bertrand YELLOW CARDED! for a foul on Hernandez.
57" A low cross by Ramires is aimed at Ba but Smalling stabs clear six yards out, Mata lifts it back in and De Gea punches clear under pressure.
56" United labour hard but Chelsea are rock solid and defending their slender lead.
55" Valencia leads in United counter attack after Nani's touch drops to Welbeck in the box but he is pulled up for a push on Azpilicueta.
53" Cleverley is booked for a crunching tackle on Ramires.
52" Mata stumbles under the challenge of Valencia 30 yards from goal, but referee Dowd signals to play on.
51" The stunned United will definitely respond as winning the double is on top of their priorities.
50" A fabulous goal from the Chelsea striker is a assuring Wembley final itself.
49 GOAL! Demba Ba (below) latches on to Mata's floated pass into the box and he volleys the ball over De Gea who is rooted in front of the crossbar.
47" Free kick for United after a foul on Jones but Nani's kick is blocked and his second attempt is gathered by Cech.
46" Chelsea on the offensive after half time.
HALF TIME
There have been chances for Ba, Hazard and Hernandez but the sides go in goalless at the break.
Both teams tested their opponents on all fronts but failed to find the net before half time.
An anxious Ferguson is looking to end United's end of nine-year wait for the FA Cup glory, having being beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in 2007 in their final showdown.
The last time the Red Devils lifted the league and FA Cup in the same season scooping the Treble back in 1999.
45" One minute added to half time as Mikel's rasping shot from the edge is deflected out for a corner .
44" Valencia does well to check Oscar in the box as the Chelsea player looked to get in a shot.
42" United corner taken by Nani is lofted to Welbeck but he is unable to direct his header on goal.
41" Big appeals from United as Nani and Bertrand tangle in the box after the Chelsea back four panic and presented the ball to Cleverley.
40" De Gea's goal kick finds Hernandez 40 yards from goal. He is able to turn and runs to the edge of the box drilling a low drive deceiving Cech as it swerves in the air and in the end he keeps it out with his legs.
39" Chelsea fire with Hazard reading Oscar on the edge of the box before rifling the ball just over.
38" Nani, once again gets the ball cutting in from the left and shoots from 25 yards narrowly wide with Cech scrambling across his goal.
37" Hazard takes the kick which is half-cleared to the edge of the box and falls for Ramires whose shot lacks power and De Gea makes a comfortable save.
36" A very determined play from Hazard earns him a corner off Valencia.
35" Break in play as Nani collides with Mikel but continues after treatment.
34" Shocking effort from Luiz, but finally the game has sprung to life.
33" Chelsea gets a free kick 30 yards out to the left of goal, but Luiz hits it high, wide with the ball sailing over the post.
32" Another chance for Ba who turns in the box but his shot is blocked by the alert Smalling.
31" Best chance of the match so far - decent save by the keeper who narrowed the angle well.
30" Chelsea gain on the attack breaking through Hazard and he lobs the ball off to Ba whose rasping drive from inside the box is saved by the legs of keeper David De Gea.
27" Mikel is cautioned after a ugly tackle on Jones.
26" United have stormed back right into the game in the past few minutes so hopefully the game has started to build momentum.
25" FREEKICK! for United after a foul by Azpilicueta on Cleverley, but Cech moves in to punch the ball clear after coming through a crowd of bodies.
24" Hernandez makes a dash into the Chelsea box but cuts back to get it on his right foot and falls over as he does so.
22" Nani latches onto a loose ball finally picking out a pass and finds Welbeck. He looks for the overlapping Evra, but Cesar Azpilicueta well read his moves to block any threat.
21" The change is like-for-like so not too much of a problem for Chelsea in terms of formation.
It's substitution time for Chelsea Ryan Bertrand replacing Cole.
19" Cole looks in some sort of discomfort, immediately signals he will have to come off.
18" Nani looks to sqeeze through the gaps taking advantage and tries to roll the ball in for Hernandez but again his pass is poor and Luiz intercepts.
17" early problems for Chelsea as Ashley Cole pulls up with what looks like a pulled hamstring.
16" No clear-cut chances but there is a possibility of extra-time and a penalty shoot-out ... the tie will be settled today.
15" Some tricky move from Mata down the left flank allows him to get in a cross that skims off the head of Smalling, but no blue shirt can get on the end of it.
14" Play has become scrappy in the last couple of minutes with both sides giving the ball away needlessly.
13" Patient build up by United before Welbeck's first-time flick on the edge of the box looks for Hernandez but Luiz clears.
11" Ba taps the ball off neatly to Hazard on the edge of the box but his shot is blocked by Ferdinand.
10" Nani, surges ahead to get in a cross but Luiz is first to it and has plenty of time to make the clearance.
9" Great defending from Ivanovic, winning the footrace to the ball with Welbeck.
6" Nani gains on the ball again gives the ball away as United look to break - not the best of starts for the winger.
3" Oscar with a lovely bit of skill skips past Evra just inside Utd's box, looks to square to Hazard but Ferdinand intercepts.
Juan Mata and Demba Ba get the game underway at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea attacking.
Rio Ferdinand returns but Wayne Rooney is again absent as Manchester United take on FA Cup holders Chelsea in Monday's quarter-final replay at Stamford Bridge, according to skysports.com.
The England striker was rested for his side's 1-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday, in an apparent bid to keep him fresh for Monday's game, but he was not even included in the list of United substitutes.
His strike partner, Robin van Persie, was named on the bench, with manager Alex Ferguson electing to pair Danny Welbeck with Javier Hernandez in attack.
Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez made seven changes to the side beaten 3-1 at Southampton on Saturday, with club captain John Terry dropping to the bench.
David Luiz came in for Terry at centre-back, with Ashley Cole, Ramires, Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Demba Ba also returning to the starting lineup.
TEAMS
Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Hazard, Oscar, Mata, Ba. Subs: Turnbull, Lampard, Torres, Moses, Terry, Benayoun, Bertrand.
Manchester United: De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Nani, Welbeck, Hernandez. Subs: Lindegaard, Giggs, Young, van Persie, Powell, Kagawa, Vermijl.
Referee: Phil Dowd
THE BUILD-UP
With a Wembley semi-final against Manchester City on April 14 the prize for the victors, runaway Barclays Premier League leaders United made seven changes from the side which won at Sunderland on Saturday, with Robin van Persie on the bench and Rooney not in the matchday squad.
Chelsea, seeking a fifth FA Cup in seven seasons, also made seven changes from the XI which began the loss at Southampton, with John Terry and Frank Lampard on the bench and Demba Ba starting up front.
Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic says he is eager to taste success in the FA Cup for the first time, ahead of his side's quarter-final replay at Chelsea on Monday.
Vidic was on the losing team when United lost to Chelsea in the first final at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007 and has also seen his side fall to Everton and Manchester City in the semi-finals.
However, with United 15 points clear in the Premier League, the Serbian has set his sights on the only domestic trophy that is still to elude him in his seven-year spell at Old Trafford.
"Over the last few years in England the semifinals and finals have always been interesting because Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal have always been there and they are the teams who are always watched.
"People always want to see them, especially when they are fighting for a trophy. It makes them important games."
Despite United's record-breaking dominance in the league, which has now seen them amass 54 points from a possible 50, Benitez will take heart from his side's performance in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on March 10.
Then, United quickly assembled a 2-0 lead, only to wilt in the face of Chelsea's stirring comeback in the second half.
Since that game, United have produced two laboured 1-0 victories, over Reading and Sunderland, but Ferguson confirmed that he will look to recall his big guns for the trip to west London.
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