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| BA's precious goal |
There it was again. The manic touchline
run. It was how we were introduced to Jose Mourinho, a decade ago, and
how we will remember him after he is gone, too.
Cesar
Azpilicueta shot, the ball caught a tiny hold-up deflection and fell to
substitute Demba Ba. It wasn't, fair to say, the cleanest finish. Ba
almost scooped it into the roof of the net, off his boot, off his shin,
somehow looping over goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. No-one cared.
Chelsea
were through, and off went Mourinho, down the line to join the
celebrations by the corner flag, just as he had done when Porto
equalised at Old Trafford to eliminate Manchester United in the same
competition in 2004.
This,
like that, was one of his greatest nights. Chelsea have come back from
3-1 down before in the Champions League, but not at this late stage and
not against a team with the potential of Paris Saint-Germain.
Those looking for omens will be
heartened, though. Reversing a 3-1 defeat by Napoli two years ago was
part of the campaign that ended in Champions League victory under
Roberto Di Matteo.
He is a
shrewd one, though, Mourinho, so do not imagine for one moment that his
dash to meet his players was inspired by elation only.
For
a manager with no strikers, he had three on the pitch by then, and was
probably telling them for what remained of the game they had to think
defence first. A goal from PSG at that point would have eliminated
Chelsea, surely. Amazingly, they nearly got it.
This
was a night for old-fashioned heroes and none loomed larger than Petr
Cech in Chelsea's goal. After his poor performance in the first leg, at
fault for two goals, here was the reason Mourinho may yet resist
bringing Thibault Courtois back from Atletico Madrid next season.
Cech
was outstanding, most memorably four minutes into injury time when
tipping around a low shot for substitute Marquinhos. Stamford Bridge was
holding its breath by then; the visitors equally desperate.
Source: Daily Mail