Basle 1
Schar 87 pen
Chelsea 2
Moses 12, Luiz 90

Fenerbahce 1
Korkmaz 72
Benfica 0
Missed penalty: Cristian (F) 45.

Second legs: May 2.

David Luiz’s last-gasp free-kick earned Chelsea a narrow 2-1 victory over Basle in the Europa League semi-final first leg at St Jakob Park, last night.

Last season’s Champions League winners went in front when Branislav Ivanovic won a header which went in off Victor Moses.

The visitors should have scored again prior to Fernando Torres striking the post before Cesar Azpilicueta was adjudged to have fouled Valentin Stocker and Fabian Schar converted an 87th-minute penalty.

However, Chelsea responded and Luiz’s late intervention earned the advantage ahead of next week’s return at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea, who had lost four of their five prior European away games, missed numerous chances and Luiz’s shot skipped around the wall and inside the post after John Terry had been denied by goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s point-blank save earlier in stoppage time.

Chelsea began the current season in contention for seven trophies. The Europa League is now the unexpected final shot at glory.

Basle eliminated Zenit SP and Tottenham and Rafael Benitez was taking few chances in Switzerland. Left-back Ashley Cole returned from a hamstring injury and Terry’s recall in defence saw Luiz move into midfield alongside Frank Lampard.

Chelsea had to be patient as Basle started well before Lampard’s 12th-minute set-piece was met by Ivanovic whose header deflected off Moses and bounced inside the far post.

Petr Cech tipped over a swerving shot from Schar before the impressive Ivanovic had to be careful to avoid conceding a penalty as Stocker nipped in front of him.

Basle were lively, with Marco Streller the focal point up front.

He appeared keen to celebrate his contract extension in style, but Ivanovic and Terry, supported by a retreating Luiz, dealt with the physical threat.

Benitez, who has a mind for statistics, will have been aware that 11 of Basle’s 16 prior Europa League goals had come in the second half, and his Chelsea side were almost made to pay for their profligacy three minutes after the restart when Streller and Stocker combined and the latter hit the base of the post with keeper Cech beaten.

Chelsea soon had another chance and again Hazard was prominent. He rode the challenge of Philipp Degen and rolled the ball back for Torres to smash a left-footed shot off the inside of the post.

Much of the second half was disjointed and punctuated by mistakes as Chelsea were forced to repel repeated Basle attacks.

Basle substitute Marcelo Diaz curled an effort narrowly wide and Cech collected at the feet of Mohamed Salah after the winger had been played in by Dragovic.

But Chelsea found themselves level when Azpilicueta was ruled to have hauled down Stocker in the area and Schar sent the ball down the middle of Cech’s goal.

Oscar shot narrowly wide and Terry’s header was somehow stopped by Sommer before Luiz took his chance from 25 yards to belatedly give Chelsea the advantage in the tie.

Fenerbahce win

Defender Egemen Korkmaz’s second-half header earned Fenerbahce a deserved 1-0 victory against Benfica in the first leg of the other semi-final.

The Turkish club had been cursing their luck after a penalty miss and the woodwork had kept it 0-0 but Korkmaz’s 72nd minute header which bounced narrowly over the line off the crossbar gave them a narrow lead to take to Lisbon next week.

Fenerbahce should have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time but Cristian’s spot-kick, awarded after Benfica’s John fouled Gokhan Gonul, struck the foot of the post.

Benfica also had some chances but they were clearly missing captain Luisao.