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Manchester United moved into the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they will surely meet Schalke, and left Chelsea to contemplate the overhaul of this side. All the same, the visitors have spirit and after Ramires was sent off with a second yellow card for his foolish foul on Nani in the 70th minute they still tied the score at 1-1 in this match seven minutes later, with Didier Drogba scoring from a Michael Essien pass. The victors, however, confirmed their own prowess almost immediately with a winner as Ryan Giggs set up Park Ji-sung. The early vitality from Chelsea was to be expected. Apart from the need to make good the deficit from Stamford Bridge they also had the eagerness of men filled with the awareness that this was their last hope of a trophy. United were hardly passive themselves but they could afford a degree of patience at the outset. Their opponents were too eager in that phase of the game. Nicolas Anelka ought to have hit the target after a lay-off from Fernando Torres and, following Florent Malouda’s set-up work, Frank Lampard did not get enough force into his finish to test Edwin van der Sar seriously. The team selection showed that United were supposed to be their usual adventurous selves, yet the individuals themselves had early inhibitions. It is difficult to be full of verve against potent opponents when you already hold the lead. Chelsea, for their part, may have felt more settled than they had been last week. The centre-half Alex was fit to start a match for the first time since 28 November and that, in turn, ensured that Branislav Ivanovic could once more assume the duties of a right-back. That did not mean that Chelsea would be at ease. Indeed they very nearly fell behind after 19 minutes. Javier Hernández was ruled offside by a fraction as he headed in a splendid cross by Wayne Rooney when the Mexican, in effect, was barely leaning beyond his marker. Chelsea’s disquiet as United started to take a hold of events was apparent in the tally of three bookings. Distress took on a more acute form as Sir Alex Ferguson’s team recorded the opener in the 43rd minute to establish a 2-0 lead on aggregate. Giggs linked with John O’Shea, who was deputising for the injured Rafael, and took the Irishman’s sharp pass to angle the ball towards the far post where Hernández waited to score. Chelsea may have felt confirmation then that time is running out for several of these players. Last year’s victory at Old Trafford was critical to the Stamford Bridge club’s success in taking the Premier League title. Carlo Ancelotti will never regret taking that trophy and, indeed, completing the Double, but in so doing the manager had brilliantly postponed the thorough reconstruction of a long-established side.He or a successor will soon have to go much further in that mission. If only Torres had cut loose since the move from Liverpool there would already be talk of a new Chelsea starting to emerge. With David Luiz ineligible, there was, instead, no disguising the fact that it was the usual group taking on United. The hosts might have been all the more wary since this is a group which, in many cases, has nothing left to achieve but triumph in the Champions League. All the same that realisation had not galvanised Chelsea in the first leg of the tie. They might have gained a draw instead of losing 1-0 but Ancelotti, ahead of the return, needed no coaxing to state that United had produced the better football. While the aim in the return was to send that trend into reverse the evidence of the first 45 minutes implied that the Italian’s side could not sustain its menace against these opponents. There was no scope left for etiquette and Torres was replaced by Drogba for the second half. The Spaniard, as usual, suffered to some degree because creativity has been leaking out of the Chelsea lineup and the substitute’s sheer force might make more of a dent but the decision by Ancelotti also confirmed that it is difficult these days to strike the right balance. At 33 Drogba ought not to be viewed as a key performer. United, in any case, were intent on discouraging any notion of a revival by these opponents. With 57 minutes gone the Chelsea substitute did put a low drive wide from distance as if to confirm that Ferguson’s men still needed to discourage these adversaries. With an hour gone Van der Sar had to be alert as he moved to his right and turned away Drogba’s attempt from a set piece. All the same it was Chelsea who needed to achieve something spectacular. Ancelotti could not be passive either and Salomon Kalou took over from Anelka after an hour. Chelsea sought to push downfield but the kind of episode that saw Alex head wide from a corner did not unnerve the opposition greatly and Cech was still the more heavily involved of the goalkeepers. The desperation was shown most vividly in the red card that ended Ramires’s night and Chelsea’s already dwindling hopes. Champions League Manchester United Chelsea Kevin McCarra guardian.co.uk