LONDON: Chelsea will face Benfica in the Europa League Final in Amsterdam on May 15 after completing their respective semi-final victories over Basel and Fenerbahce.

Rafa Benitez saw his Chelsea advance to a European final for the second successive season with a 3-1 win on the night at Stamford Bridge and 5-2 on aggregate against Basel.

Last season’s Champions League winners fell behind to Mohamed Salah’s fine 45th-minute goal for the Swiss champions but Fernando Torres and Victor Moses maintained their impressive individual records in the competition by scoring within three second-half minutes.

David Luiz’s superb third ended the tie as a contest and maintained the Europa League as their eighth and final chance of silverware at the end of another turbulent season.

In Lisbon Oscar Cardozo struck twice as Benfica overturned a first-leg deficit with a 3-2 aggregate success over Fenerbahce.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Turkey, the hosts made a perfect start at the Estadio da Luz when Nicolas Gaitan put them ahead on the night and level overall within nine minutes.

They were pulled back by a Dirk Kuyt penalty against the run of play soon after but Cardozo restored Benfica’s lead before the break and the Paraguay striker struck again midway through the second half.

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