Chelsea booked their place in the League Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win at third-tier Cardiff City on Tuesday where the Premier League side needed goals from substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto to put away the courageous Welsh club.
The hosts were the only non-Premier League side left in the competition but they more than held their own against the Club World Cup winners who were forced to turn to their bench to overcome the League One leaders.
"They were a very strong team. We weren't focused on which league they play in," Garnacho, who scored twice after coming on at halftime, told Sky Sports.
"They did a really good job but we're happy to be in the semi-final."
Cardiff were the better side in the opening half, enjoying plenty of possession early on and came closest to scoring through a deflected cross from Isaak Davies which forced Chelsea keeper Filip Jorgensen into a reaction save at his near post.
Chelsea, lacking urgency, struggled to get in behind Cardiff who were very disciplined without the ball, and the boisterous crowd inside the sold-out Cardiff City Stadium cheered every challenge and clearance from the home side.
"It was evident the players gave everything for the club," Cardiff coach Brian Barry-Murphy told Sky Sports.
"It was an incredible atmosphere and a memorable night."
CHELSEA CHANGES PAY OFF
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca named an entirely changed starting 11 from the side that beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday, and after an underwhelming opening half he sent on Joao Pedro and Garnacho for the second half.
"Sometimes you have to start games and sometimes you have to help from the bench," Garnacho added.
"We don't focus on this, we just try to help the team. Me, Pedro and the rest of the players did that."
Garnacho had the first chance after the break with Cardiff keeper Nathan Trott making a fine save from the close-range effort but the substitute opened the scoring in the 57th minute with Chelsea capitalising on a poor pass out from the back.
Facundo Buonanotte gathered possession, drove forward into the area and fed Garnacho who slipped his shot past Trott. Chelsea went looking for the killer second goal and Trott tipped over a Buonanotte strike from distance.
The game looked to be slipping away from Cardiff before David Turnbull got on the end of Perry Ng's floated cross into the box to steer his header beyond Jorgensen with 15 minutes left.
"I guess it's the hope that kills you," Barry-Murphy added.
"When we scored the goal, probably all got carried away, myself included, trying to get that second goal."
Trott dived bravely at Pedro's feet to deny the Chelsea man a tap-in, but the visitors retook the lead with eight minutes remaining when Neto's shot took a deflection on its way past the Cardiff keeper and Garnacho netted his second in added time.
Manchester City host Brentford and Newcastle United welcome Fulham in Wednesday's quarter-finals, with Arsenal and Crystal Palace contesting the final game of the round next Tuesday.
Christensen, Rashford on target as Barcelona beat Guadalajara in Copa del Rey
Late strikes from Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory for Barcelona against third-tier side Guadalajara on Tuesday, sending the Catalans through to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona laboured for much of the match at the Pedro Escartin stadium, holding over 80% of possession but struggling to break down a disciplined five-man Guadalajara defence.
The home side posed a constant threat on the counter-attack and frustrated the European heavyweights for long stretches.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick introduced regular starters Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Jules Kounde, and Pedri from the bench in the second half, seeking a breakthrough.
The changes finally paid dividends in the 77th minute when Frenkie de Jong whipped in a cross from the right and defender Christensen rose highest to meet the delivery, with his header deflecting off Guadalajara's Julio Martinez before nestling in the net.
The hosts nearly produced an immediate response, with Salifo Caropitche unleashing a fierce drive from distance, but Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen -- who was playing his first game for Barca since May -- reacted superbly to tip the effort over the bar, preserving his side's slender lead.
Guadalajara's hopes were extinguished in the dying moments when Lamine Yamal played a sublime through-ball into the path of Rashford.
The English forward showed great composure, wrong-footing keeper Dani Vicente with a quick cut to his left before tapping the ball into the empty net to wrap up the result for Barcelona.
"These are tricky matches; they come out with everything they've got and we have to do the same," Cubarsi told TVE.
"In the second half, we picked up the pace and moved them from side to side to tire them out. As the minutes passed, they grew tired, and that was the key point. They played spectacularly well."
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