Chelsea’s Demba Ba is mobbed by his team-mates – and manager Jose Mourinho (Picture: AP)

Ten years after bursting into the international spotlight and Jose Mourinho was at it again on Tuesday night, charging down a touchline in celebration of a goal which takes his team to the semis of the Champions League.

Back in 2004 it was Manchester United who suffered a late strike from a Mourinho-inspired side, now it was the turn of the millionaires of Paris Saint-Germain as Chelsea secured a place in the final four of European football’s grandest competition.

The manager can be hard to warm to – when his team fails it is always someone else’s fault and out comes the petted lip – but, like him or loath him, you cannot deny Mourinho has the midas touch, and only a fool would be confident in writing him off a third Champions League title.



The odds on the Blues overturning the first leg 3-1 deficit increased following the early departure of that little Belgian box of tricks Eden Hazard, but despite that blow and a lacklustre first half showing, the Stamford Bridge men led at the interval thanks to a strike from Andre Schurrle.


With time ticking away it appeared to all that the French champions would be leaving west London with a place in the semi-finals – only for Demba Ba to pop up and burst their bubble.

When you play Chelsea not only are you competing against 11 players of high quality but also a genius in the opposing dug out

It was pleasing to see Ba, a devout Muslim, turn out to be the hero – silencing the numbskulls who follow Chelsea and still insist on airing their poisonous EDL views on everyone else, including the innocent Parisian bystanders caught up in some mayhem last week.

Winner: Chelsea’s Demba Ba celebrates after scoring late on (Picture: AP)

This was another night for the Mourinho magic, his teams may not have the flair and expressive creativity of some of their opponents, but this is a man who can certainly mastermind victories when it really matters. No wonder they idolise him down the Kings Road.

It certainly may not have been a superb display, but Chelsea got the job done. Petr Cech was reliable as ever when called upon and John Terry and Gary Cahill in front of him further underlined their reputation as the most solid defensive partnership in Europe.

Both Oscar and Willian have played better and, while there remains a real lack of a cutting edge to the Chelsea of 2014, no one should be under any illusions that the likes of Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Tata Martino and Diego Simeone will be crossing their fingers hoping they avoid the Londoners in the last four, because when you play Chelsea not only are you competing against 11 players of high quality but also a genius in the opposing dug out.

We have all seen it before, Mourinho is a master at getting under the skin of other managers who time after time get caught up in mind battles with him. Often that results in them taking their eyes off the ball and the self-named ‘Chosen One’ has the last laugh.

You also have to wonder if the power brokers just up the A1 at Old Trafford would have been watching on with further regret when they opted for someone who has never won a major trophy to become their new manager, instead of luring a born winner like Mourinho to their club.

A decade on from his famous jig of joy on their own turf, Jose is at it again and the prospect of another night to remember in the country of his birth next month is now only 180 minutes away.

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