Chelsea survived a massive scare from League One’s Cardiff City to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals, edging a dramatic 3–1 win in the quarter-final at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Premier League giants looked sluggish in a scrappy first half against spirited third-tier opponents, with clear openings hard to come by and both sides cancelling each other out. Cardiff’s energy and organisation frustrated Chelsea, forcing manager Enzo Maresca into a tactical rethink at the interval.
That change paid dividends. Alejandro Garnacho, introduced at half-time, broke the deadlock in the 57th minute after capitalising on a misplaced pass by Cardiff defender Dylan Lawlor. The winger coolly slotted home, giving Chelsea the lead and silencing the home support.
However, the underdogs refused to lie down. With 15 minutes remaining, David Turnbull rose highest to power a brilliant diving header past Filip Jorgensen, drawing Cardiff level and briefly stirring hopes of a stunning upset.
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