Chelsea survive huge Cardiff scare as Garnacho double seals Carabao Cup progress | OneFootball

Chelsea booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals after overcoming a stubborn Cardiff City side with a 3-1 win at a packed Cardiff City Stadium.

The Premier League side were made to work hard by the League One leaders, who matched them for long spells and threatened to force another uncomfortable night for Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea dominated possession early on but struggled to impose themselves against an organised and energetic home side.

Cardiff fed off the atmosphere and pressed aggressively, with Isaak Davies and Cian Ashford stretching Chelsea’s back line and forcing early defensive interventions.

Clear chances were limited in the first half, with Marc Guiu denied twice by goalkeeper Nathan Trott after a rare moment of quality from Moises Caicedo in midfield.

Maresca, unimpressed by his side’s lack of urgency, turned to his bench at the break and introduced Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro.

The change brought greater purpose, and Chelsea began to apply sustained pressure after the restart.

The breakthrough arrived when Cardiff centre-back Dylan Lawlor misplaced a pass under pressure, allowing Facundo Buonanotte to surge forward and slide the ball to Garnacho.

The winger finished confidently into the far corner to give Chelsea the lead and quieten the home crowd.

Cardiff refused to fold and responded with renewed intensity, pushing higher up the pitch and committing numbers forward.

Their persistence was rewarded with 15 minutes remaining when Perry Ng delivered a precise cross and David Turnbull powered a diving header past Filip Jorgensen.

The equaliser reignited the stadium and briefly raised the prospect of a famous upset.

Chelsea steadied themselves and eventually found the decisive moment through another substitute.

Joao Pedro moved the ball smartly into space for Pedro Neto, who drove a low diagonal shot beyond Trott to restore Chelsea’s advantage.

That goal drained belief from the hosts and allowed Chelsea to manage the closing stages with greater control.

In stoppage time, Garnacho struck again to seal the result, finishing clinically to underline the impact of Maresca’s substitutions.

The scoreline flattered Chelsea slightly, but their quality in decisive moments proved the difference.

For Cardiff, the performance offered encouragement rather than disappointment, as they went toe to toe with elite opposition and remained competitive throughout.

Chelsea, meanwhile, move into the semi-finals relieved rather than euphoric, having avoided an upset and kept their cup ambitions alive.