Eden Hazard rescued a hapless Chelsea side that came close to crashing out of the Europa League to underdogs Sparta Prague after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian came off the bench to score in the final minutes with a longe range effort to send Chelsea through to the next round, joining Tottenham and Newcastle United.
Rafael Benitez elected to start Oscar and Ramires in his starting lineup for the second leg clash but David Luiz was overlooked in favour of the returning John Terry.
The coach also kept faith in the struggling Fernando Torres despite the presence of Demba Ba, recently signed from Newcastle United, on the bench.
Chelsea suffered an early setback as David Lafata lashed home from ten yards after a quick free kick from the away side.
Benitez’s side struggled to break down the Sparta resistance and eventually called Hazard onto the pitch.
The former Lille playmaker made the difference as he struck home for the Champions League winners, keeping them in Europe for another round.
