Chelsea qualified for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday after holding Juventus to a 2-2 draw at Stadio Olimpico. Vincenzo Iaquinta stunned the visitors midway through the first half with a spectacular opener, and Michael Essien pulled one back for the Blues right before the interval. Veteran marksman Alessandro Del Piero scored Juventus' second, but a magnificent goal by Didier Drogba, who scored the winner in the first leg 1-0 win, helped his team seal a 3-2 aggregate win. The match started off at a fast pace with Juventus looking for an early opener, but Chelsea's backline remained intact for a while. The home side had a blow when playmaker Pavel Nedved sustained an injury and had to make way for Hasan Salihamidzic early in the first half. Striker Iaquinta notched the opener on 19 minutes after latching onto David Trezeguet's through to go one-on-one with Petr Cech and slot home. Chelsea became a bit shaky after conceding a goal, and the Serie A giants tried to capitalize on their opponents' deteriorated condition. Del Piero tried to hit a second for Juventus on 22 minutes, but his shot was tipped over the crossbar by Cech.
By the half hour mark, the Premier League powerhouse got their act together and sought to cancel out the Old Lady's slender lead. Several minutes before the interval, Chelsea scoring sensation Drogba unleashed a powerful shot, but Gianluigi Buffon brilliantly save it. Seconds later, Essien cheered Chelsea's fans by bringing the score level with a superb follow-up effort, after Frank Lampard had his shot deflected off the crossbar. After the break, Chelsea were keen to maintain their aggregate superiority. Del Piero tried to fire the hosts ahead on the hour mark, but his headed effort went straight into Cech's arms. Claudio Ranieri's side were disappointed when defender Georgio Chiellini received his marching orders on 70 minutes. But Del Piero restored Juventus' one-goal advantage four minutes later when he converted a spot-kick after sending Cech the wrong way. Six minutes from time, Ivory Coast star Drogba hit a precious leveler after connecting with Juliano Belletti's low cross. Belletti was close to adding a last-minute third for Chelsea, but Buffon blocked his point-blank effort.
