Bayern drown in Blues

Chelsea's Frank Lampard's (R) shot about to take a deflection off Bayern Munich defender Lucio before going into the net at The Olympic Stadium in Munich on April 12. PHOTO: AFP

English Premiership leaders Chelsea swept into the semifinals of the Champions League at the expense of Bayern Munich here on Tuesday to keep hopes of a historic treble alive.

Although Chelsea lost 3-2, their Stamford Bridge victory last week was enough to earn them a 6-5 aggregate victory.

It is the second successive season Chelsea have reached the semi-finals of Europe's premier competition and they will hope to make amends for last season's shock 5-3 aggregate defeat by Monaco.

Chelsea led 4-2 from the first leg and England international Frank Lampard scored on the hour mark - his third goal against Bayern in six days - to ensure Bayern had to score three times.

"Another deflected goal from Chelsea," said Bayern handler Felix Magath. "Chelsea were not better than us they were just more fortunate and clincal in front of goal."

Bayern did in fact manage to score three through Claudio Pizarro (65) and late goals from substitutes Mehmet Scholl and Paolo Guerrero both in stoppage time - but Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba had scored for Chelsea 10 minutes earlier to send the London club through.

Chelsea's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho -- still suspended by UEFA -- was amongst the capacity 59,000 fans watching from the stands and will be delighted as his charges scored twice to ensure Bayern's late goal fest was irrelevant.

Fitness coach Rui Faria was Mourinho's representative at the press conference and revealed the manager left the stadium because he felt his privacy was being invaded.

"Jose will be delighted with the result but he left the stands because he could not watch the match in peace," revealed Faria. "He went back to the hotel and watched us progress from there."

Chelsea face the prospect of an all English semi-final clash with four-time European Cup winners Liverpool although Italian giants Juventus will fancy their chances of overturning a 2-1 deficit in Turin on Wednesday.

Bayern made four changes with Dutch international Roy Makaay and Peru star Pizarro back to form their attacking partnership.

Manager Magath claimed conceding the first goal would be 'fatal' and it almost happened in the second minute with Drogba - a lone target-man - rushing on to a through pass.

Bayern custodian Oliver Kahn came storming out to block his path and Magath breathed a sigh of relief - although it was later to turn to despair.

Hosts Munich then seized the initiative and German international Michael Ballack - at the centre of a diving storm in the first leg - saw his goal-bound shot blocked in the fifth minute and blazed his follow-up high over the crossbar.

Pizarro then forced a brilliant point blank save from Chelsea's Czech international goalkeeper Petr Cech in a thrilling first quarter hour.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was causing havoc down the right flank and a goal looked inevitable but it was Chelsea who scored it against the run of play.

In the 30th minute, Joe Cole fed England international team-mate Lampard and the midfielder's shot ricocheted off Brazilian defender Lucio sending Kahn the wrong way.

"The first goal was very fortunate," said Bayern defender Sagnol. "But to be honest the damage was done in the first leg."

It was more bad luck for Lucio who deflected in Cole's first goal in the 4-2 first leg defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard's deflected effort meant Bayern needed to score three goals to go through and Ballack should have got one of them in the 38th minute when he strangely chose to play the ball across the face of goal instead of shooting himself.

Bayern pulled off Martin Demichelis for the more inventive Mehmet Scholl early in the second half.

Bayern were handed a lifeline in the 65th minute when Cech could only parry a Ballack header on to the post and the ball rolled kindly to Pizarro who stroked the ball in to level the scores.

With 25 minutes left to score twice Bayern hit the crossbar through a deflected Bixente Lizarazu cross and then Eidur Gudjohnsen cleared off the line as Chelsea began to wobble.

But with 10 minutes left the excellent Cole crossed for Drogba to bullet a header past Kahn and Bayern knew the game was up.

Guerrero and Scholl both scored in stoppage time but Bayern were left cursing having conceded six goals over the two legs.

"The players relaxed at the end," declared Faria. "They were worried about yellow cards and possible suspensions."

Bayern's star midfielder Michael Ballack said: "It's annoying. We were the best team and we deserved to go through. We had numerous chances and should have got something out of tonight. But Chelsea are a very capable team."