Chelsea battle into League Cup semis to ease pressure on Maresca

CARDIFF, United Kingdom: Chelsea provided support for unsettled boss Enzo Maresca as they survived a scare from third-tier Cardiff to reach the League Cup semifinals with a 3-1 win on Tuesday. Maresca’s side took the lead thanks to Alejandro Garnacho’s strike early in the second half of the quarter-final in the Welsh capital. Chelsea were pushed hard by the gritty League One leaders, who equalized through David Turnbull’s thumping header. But the Blues delivered a welcome tonic for Maresca after his recent outburst, as Pedro Neto and Garnacho struck in the closing stages.