as they survived the sending-off of John Terry to win an astonishing Champions League semi-final with Barcelona after a 2-2 draw in the Nou Camp.
A result that makes it a little tougher for Newcastle United to get into the Champions League.
Should Chelsea win the final - and finish below Newcastle - they will take the fourth place in the Champions League.
On a night of unparalleled drama, Terry looked to have pressed the self-destruct button on the Blues' hopes of glory on the continent when he saw red for needlessly kneeing Alexis Sanchez from behind.
But the 10 men were simply magnificent for the rest of the second leg, fighting back from goals from Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta with a stunning chip from Ramires before half-time.
And after surviving a Barca siege from start to finish that saw Lionel Messi miss a penalty, Fernando Torres came off the bench to score a stoppage-time breakaway goal as Chelsea avenged their 2009 defeat in the most dramatic manner.
Reaching their second final came at a huge cost, though, with Terry's red card and yellows for Ramires, Branislav Ivanovic and Raul Meireles ruling them out of the final.
But they will worry about that in the morning after celebrating arguably the greatest result in the club's history and one which may finally convince Roman Abramovich to make Roberto Di Matteo's appointment as manager permanent.
THE BRIDGE
What Is It Like For Away Supporters?
Away fans are located on one side of the Shed End lower tier (towards the East Stand side), where the normal allocation for league games is 3,000 tickets. For cup games the whole of the Shed End can be allocated. The view from this area of the ground is pretty good and the refreshment areas and concourses were modern and new looking. There are televisions on the concourses, showing amongst other things at half time, highlights from the first half. A range of pies and pasties are on offer, including the Chicken Balti Pie (£3) and roll over hot dogs (£3.50). Alcohol is also available with Heineken & Guinness on offer at £3.50 a pint. There is also a 'meal deal' available for a pie and a pint (£6).
On the whole I found Stamford Bridge a pleasurable day out. There was a good atmosphere within the ground and even though there wasn't a lot of space between the home and away fan sections, in didn't feel intimidating. The stewards were pretty laid back. The only 'hassle' I had was trying to get through two lines of stewards to gain entrance to the away turnstiles as they seemed to assume that I was a Chelsea fan and kept ushering me towards the home end. Only after showing my ticket for the away section for a third time did I finally make it inside! I was seated in the Shed End and I found a little difficult to go up and down the steps of the stand as they were quite small and there were extra steps between each row. Considering that the stand is quite steep then they seemed quite awkward, or do you think it may have been something to do with the few beers that I had consumed beforehand?
Where To Drink
The pubs near the ground can be quite partisan, so I would recommend getting a drink somewhere on the journey there. Gordon a visiting Newcastle fan adds 'there are quite a few pubs on the Kings Road that are okay as long as you don't break into a chorus about your team!'. Alcohol is available inside the stadium, however for certain fixtures the Club opt not to sell any to away supporters, so don't bank on it!
How To Get There And Where To Park
Leave the M25 at Junction 15 and take the M4 towards London, which then becomes the A4 up to Hammersmith. Carry on over the Hammersmith flyover and after a further one and half miles, take the turning Earls Court. Continue past Earls Court station and down the one way system until you reach the junction with Fulham Road. At this junction, turn right at the traffic lights and after about half a mile, you will see the ground on your right.
A number of local resident schemes are in operation around the stadium, so you may well end up having to park some way from the ground itself. Thanks to Andy Harris for providing the directions.
By Train/Tube
The nearest tube station is Fulham Broadway which is on the District Line. Take a tube to Earls Court and if necessary, change for a Wimbledon bound tube. The nearest overground train station is West Brompton, which is served by trains from Clapham Junction (which is in turn served by trains from London Waterloo and Victoria stations). It is around a 15 minute walk to the ground from West Brompton station. Turn right outside the station past the Tournament Pub, then right again into Brompton Cemetery. Walk on through the Cemetery (just follow the crowd) and Stamford Bridge is soon visible to the right. If it is a night game then turn right after the cemetery into Finborough Road. After a half-mile, turn right onto the Fulham Rd. Thanks to Jim Millington for providing the directions.