Ba breaks PSG hearts

Chelsea striker Demba Ba (C) scores the second goal against Paris Saint-Germain during their Champions League quarterfinal at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

A week after bemoaning his lack of lethal strikers, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho had all three of them on the pitch at the end of their 2-0 win over Paris St Germain with the least celebrated of the trio emerging as the ultimate hero.
Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba had only scored 23 goals between them in 48 matches in all competitions this season before Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg ended with Ba's late strike putting Chelsea in the semifinals for the seventh time in 11 seasons.
His effort, bundled home three minutes from time after PSG defender Maxwell deflected Cesar Azpilicueta's shot into his path, tied the scores at 3-3 on aggregate, giving Chelsea a memorable comeback victory on the away goals rule.
Ba, who has started just three matches for Chelsea this season and only scored five goals in his 23 appearances in all, earned a lasting place in Chelsea folklore for the goal that epitomised everything about the side's never-say-die spirit.
Two years ago, they became champions of Europe after Didier Drogba saved them from defeat in the final against Bayern Munich with an 88th minute headed equaliser before scoring the decisive goal in a penalty shootout.
Last season, they won the Europa League final when Branislav Ivanovic headed in a stoppage time winner to give them a 2-1 victory over Benfica in Amsterdam.
And the longer the edgy, tense match lasted on Tuesday, there was an air of inevitability that another Chelsea goal was on its way.
Ba, as he has done so often this season, started the match on the bench but replaced midfielder Frank Lampard in the 66th minute to join Eto'o in a two-pronged attack.
Mourinho then threw his last roll of the dice by introducing his under-performing 50 million pound ($83.75 million) man Torres with nine minutes to play and with the PSG defence creaking under pressure... eventually crumbling.
Andrea Schurrle, who replaced the injured Eden Hazard early in the match, put Chelsea ahead when he was left unmarked in the centre of the penalty area after 32 minutes and swept the ball home to give Chelsea renewed hope.
PSG dominated the opening spell but with the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic missing, they lacked a cutting edge up front and when they finally did create an opening, Edinson Cavani missed two chances, lashing one fierce drive over the bar when he should have scored.
But it was not only in attack that Chelsea's battling qualities earned them their victory, their defence kept a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge for the ninth successive match in all competitions.