Chelsea end 'Boro's remarkable FA Cup run to reach the semi final
The ‘Blues’ defeated Middlesbrough 2-0 in an impressive win to secure their place in the semi final of the Emirates FA cup.
Chelsea players celebrate a goal during the 2-0 defeat of MiddlesbroughWith this win, Chelsea has now reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup five times in the last six years.
Middlesbrough's remarkable FA Cup run
Middlesbrough's progress to the last eight in this competition had been one of the stories of the competition this season.
They had already eliminated Manchester United and Tottenham, and over 30,000 home fans had hoped to see the world and European champions join that list.
In spite of having fewer than 700 fans at the game after the club was prevented from selling any more tickets as part of the sanctions placed on Russian oligarch owner Roman Abramovich, Chelsea came out rock solid.
Romelu Lukaku's opening goal in the first 15 minutes seemed extremely easy. It was as if the team was exercising in the training ground without any opposition. The second goal by Hakim Ziyech wasn't difficult either.
The attack began in Chelsea’s goalmouth and concluded in Boro's goal in less than 10 seconds without much resistance.
Hakim Ziyech then tuned in to celebrate his 29th birthday in spectacular fashion, scoring another goal with a swirling goal on the 31st minute of the match.
The 29-year-old had too much time to cut into the area on his left foot, and while his strike from the edge of the box arrowed into the bottom corner, goalkeeper Joe Lumley may only have felt one regret to have gotten down quicker to save the ball.
Hakim Ziyech then tuned in to celebrate his 29th birthday in spectacular fashion, scoring another goal with a swirling goal on the 31st minute of the match.
The 29-year-old had too much time to cut into the area on his left foot. While his strike from the edge of the box arrowed into the bottom corner, goalkeeper Joe Lumley may only have felt one regret to have gotten down quicker to save the ball.
In 32 appearances for Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea, the Moroccan has scored eight goals and provided five assists.
The match impressed Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel was really happy with his sides performance while they go through a tough time. He tuned in with the media after the thumping win and said, "It was a deserved win… We've come through a period of lots of matches.
"Just three days after a Champions League tie you have to play a completely different competition with a totally different approach, but we were focused and got a deserved win.
"Full credit to the team. I'm very impressed."
Squads for Chelsea vs Middlesbrough encounter
Chelsea Playin XI: Edou Mendy, Cesar Azpilicueta (c), Thiago Silva, Toni Rudiger, Malang Sarr, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Romelo Lukaku, Christian Pulisic
Substitutes: Bettinelli, Alonso, Kenedy, Chalobah, N’Golo Kante, Barkley, Kai Havertz, Vale, Timo Werner
Middlesbrough Playin XI: McNair, Jones, Crooks, Howson, Tavernier, Taylor, Connolly, Balogun, Lumley, Dijksteel, Fry
Substitutes: Peltier, Olusanya, Coburn, Boyd-Munce, Watmore, Daniels, Hall, Bamba, Bola