Manchester Utd 2 Chelsea 1:DIDIER DROGBA briefly gave Chelsea some hope when he rifled home in the 77th minute to reduce the aggregate arrears to 2-1 in a frantic Champions League quarter-final second leg match at Old Trafford last night.
However, they were given no time to celebrate as in the same minute Ji-Sung Park put United back in the driving seat when driving past Petr Cech from eight yards.
Before then United were firmling in control when Mexico striker Javier Hernandez, denied once in the 27th minute by the offside flag, scooped home the first goal for a deserved half-time lead.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti gambled Chis clubs Champions League future - and possibly his own - on Fernando Torres in the must-win match.
Ancelotti opted for the Spaniard, who went into the game having not scored for 817 minutes, over Didier Drogba, while Alex was handed his first start since November after recovering from knee surgery.
United made two changes from their 1-0 first leg win at Stamford Bridge, with Nani and John O'Shea in for Antonio Valencia and the injured Rafael.
Ancelotti appeared to have set his team up for €58 million man Torres from the start, with the visitors playing a new 4-3-2-1 formation.
The Spaniard made a subdued start but climbed above Rio Ferdinand in the 12th minute to flick Nicolas Anelka's cross wide.
That came after Chelsea's Ramires almost bulldozed his way through and United's Park Ji-sung danced past Alex too easily only to backheel to a Chelsea player.
Ramires was forced to hack away a Hernandez cross and Nicolas Anelka drilled narrowly wide before United's first-leg hero Wayne Rooney sent an outrageous 35-yard volley straight at Petr Cech.
The first clear-cut chance fell to the visitors 15 minutes in, Malouda squaring for Frank Lampard after a brilliant run only for the midfielder to sidefoot straight at Edwin van der Sar.
Ferdinand did not look fully fit but he soldiered on, while John O'Shea was booked for a late tackle on Malouda.
Torres spoilt some nice juggling skills with a sliced shot that fell straight to Anelka, who drilled just over, as Chelsea began to impose themselves in a way they had completely failed to do at Stamford Bridge.
Hernandez thought he had put United in front in the 27th minute when he stole in at the near post to nod home Rooney's magnificent cross.
The flag was already up, with replays showing it was the tightest of decisions. It was United's turn to enjoy a let-off on the half-hour, with Anelka charging down Nemanja Vidic's clearance, with Van der Sar coming to the rescue.
Ramires and Malouda were cautioned for bringing down Nani and Hernandez respectively. John Terry became the latest Blues player to be booked by referee Olegario Benquerenca.
When he awarded another free-kick to the home side two minutes from the break,they took the lead. The ball was cleared but O'Shea's defence-splitting pass released Ryan Giggs, whose cross was blasted into the roof of the net by Hernandez.
With his side staring at defeat, Ancelotti hauled off Torres at half-time for Drogba, who almost got on the end of a near-post cross moments after the restart.
Malouda's long-range pot-shot flashed wide before Vidic went agonisingly close to getting on the end of Giggs' free-kick.
Drogba was wasting no time proving he should have started, turning Ferdinand brilliantly before unleashing a low 25-yard shot which whistled past the post.
He then lured Patrice Evra into a booking and his top-spin free-kick was parried by Van der Sar but Terry could not take advantage.
United went forward again as Giggs wasted a glorious chance to kill the tie when he mis-timed his header from another great Rooney cross.
Ramires further undermined Chelsea's faint hopes when his tackle from behind on Nani earned him a second yellow card.
An audacious chip from Rooney in injury time would have been a fitting end to a triumphant night for United but the game was alrerady up as United march on and Chelsea go back to the drawing board in their quest for Champions League glory.
* Guardian Service
MANCHESTER UTD:Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez. Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, Berbatov, Smalling, Scholes, Valencia, Gibson.
Chelsea:Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Anelka, Torres, Malouda. Subs: Turnbull, Benayoun, Drogba, Mikel, Zhirkov, Ferreira, Kalou. Referee: Olegario Bartolo Benquerenca
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