Ivanovic Heads Chelsea Into Cup Final

Chelsea reached the League Cup final after Branislav Ivanovic’s towering extra-time header secured a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in a rip-roaring semifinal second leg at an electric Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
.
The Serbian defender powered a header past Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet four minutes into the extra period to secure a 2-1 aggregate win for the four-times winners days after their humiliating FA Cup exit to third-tier Bradford City.
.
Both sides had good chances in normal time and were grateful to their keepers – Thibaut Courtois and Mignolet – for keeping the scores level in a blood-and-thunder encounter with plenty of controversy.
.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa was typically in the thick of the action and twice appeared to stamp on Liverpool players, but should also have been awarded a penalty when he was felled by Slovak defender Martin Skrtel in the first half.
.
Chelsea will face Tottenham Hotspur or Sheffield United, who play the second leg of their last-four clash on Wednesday with the London side leading 1-0, in the final at Wembley on March 1.
.
“This is a new Liverpool team (from earlier in the season) and a very difficult opponent. So I’m even happier because we beat a very good team over two legs,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports.
.
This was a very different Chelsea side to the one that was beaten 4-2 by Bradford in the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Jose Mourinho making nine changes.