CHELSEA edged into the quarter-finals of the Europa League thanks to a rare Fernando Torres winner.

In a story with as many twists and turns as a Hitchcock thriller, or perhaps an Eden Hazard run, Chelsea made hard work of a tie that really shouldn't have been this tricky for the reigning European Champions.

Chelsea started less like a club chasing the tie, than like one Waiting For Godot.

They stood and watched and waited. Then watched and waited some more as Steaua passed the ball about with vim and vigor.

A dozen minutes flashed by, with barely an intervention from the home side.

John Mikel Obi gave away a ball to Raul Rusescu, who steamed on past John Terry – played out of position on the left side of the centre half pairing.

Rusescu's well-weighted shot almost foxed Petr Cech – who saved with a diving outstretched palm.

Chelsea picked up a bit, not content to be mere spectators, they pushed forward for Mikel to send a 25-yard shot only just within reach of Ciprian Tatarusanu.

But, that aside, it was mostly Steaua playing for the early away goal to add to their first leg lead.

However, the visitors could not keep up the pressure with the demands placed by their speed of build-up were simply unsustainable.

In the 24th minute Juan Mata capitalised on a loss of Steaua possession: he surged into the box, worked a one-two with Ramires, and sent his shot under the diving keeper to square the tie.

Chelsea kept up the pressure in the moment. Hazard using his pace down the left to play a passing game with Mata, before weaving along the six-yard box and turning to shoot against the keeper's hand.

But the opening half was to end with embarrassment for Blues.

Defensive calamity reigned as, on the stroke of the break, Mihai Doru Pintilii first struck the post, then Cristian Tanase's rebound was kept out by Cech, and finally Vlad Chiriches' third attempt hit the back of the bet.

Visitors from Bucharest, and more than a few Romanians now residing closer to Stamford Bridge, leapt up in all corners of the ground.

Chelsea needed to pull out some real character to rescue this one. Cometh the hour, cometh John Terry.

Not having the greatest of games, and arguably culpable in Steaua's goal, the hour found him leaping to meet a Mata corner – and heading it in to square the tie.

Chelsea now had to fight back against the small matter of the away goal conceded.

And that came courtesy of a perhaps less expected source: Torres.

Mata, down the right, cut back, sent in a cross which Hazard dummied, and Torres turned his man to place perfectly in the net.

Shortly after his goal Torres received a scandalous kick to the head from Lukasz Szukala while down. For a short while he received treatment, as the blood poured from his nose.

Back on, he looked like a man possessed, terrorising the Steaua defence with chance after chance. For a bit.

Hazard, on yet another dangerous incursion into the box, was kicked in the knee by Bourceanu – and Torres was the man elected to step up for the spot kick.

In a feat that looked trickier than actually scoring, he managed to bounce the ball off the top of the bar. And, in a stroke the Torres we all know was back.

Chelsea have at least another two crazy Europa Thursdays ahead of them now. They will find out against whom in tomorrow's draw.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Chelsea news.