"Alejandro Garnacho scored twice as Chelsea reached the semifinals of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 victory at Cardiff City. Substitutes Garnacho and Pedro Neto struck second-half goals as Chelsea unleashed the power of their bench against their Welsh hosts. David Turnbull had equalised after 75 minutes -- his first goal for 13 months -- to give renewed hope to the last EFL team in the competition."
"But Neto spared Chelsea's blushes eight minutes from time with a low drive and Garnacho put the seal on victory for the five-time winners in stoppage time. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca changed the entire line-up from the team that had started Saturday's home victory over Everton. Moisés Caicedo returned after serving a three-game domestic ban, and Enzo Fernández, João Pedro, Neto and Garnacho were among those on a bench that cost nearly £400million and considerably more than the starting XI."
"Cardiff were buoyed by five successive wins that had taken them four points clear at the top of League One and had already claimed one top-flight Carabao Cup victim, having beaten Burnley in round three. The Bluebirds' last victory in a rarely played fixture had come in this competition way back in October 1986. Chelsea had won the subsequent five meetings by the comprehensive margin of 16-5, but Cardiff were backed by their first full house since being relegated from the Premier League in 2019."
Chelsea beat Cardiff City 3-1 to reach the Carabao Cup semifinals. Alejandro Garnacho scored twice and Pedro Neto added a late goal after David Turnbull had equalised. Turnbull's goal was his first in 13 months and briefly gave renewed hope to the last EFL team in the competition. Enzo Maresca made wholesale changes to Chelsea's starting XI, with Moisés Caicedo returning from a domestic ban and several high-value players named on the bench. Cardiff arrived on a five-game winning run and enjoyed their first full house since relegation in 2019. Chelsea's substitutes ultimately decided the tie late on.
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