Chelsea 0-1 Inter (Agg 1-3): Late Samuel Eto'o strike sees Blues crash out of Champions League

Jose Mourinho led his Inter side to the Champions League quarter-finals after a 3-1 aggregate victory against Chelsea.

Samuel Eto'o got the only goal of the night with just over 10 minutes remaining to give Inter a 1-0 win and make it an enjoyable return to Stamford Bridge for Mourinho.

Didier Drogba was sent off late on to end a miserable night for Chelsea after he hit out at Thiago Motta in the box.

The self-proclaimed 'Special One' led the Nerazzurri out at the Bridge for the first time after leaving the Blues in 2007 after a highly successful time with the west London club.

Inter went into the game with a 2-1 lead from the first leg and named an attacking line-up, with Eto'o, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev all in the starting XI.

Chelsea were still without long-term injury casualties Ashley Cole, Michael Essien and Jose Bosingwa for their biggest game of the season so far.

Inexperienced Ross Turnbull started in goal for Carlo Ancelotti's side after Petr Cech and Hilario were ruled out through injury.

The main controversy in Mourinho's selection was the exclusion of Mario Balotelli, who was left out of the squad after a reported training ground bust-up.

It was a scrappy start to the game in a hostile atmosphere at Stamford Bridge with both defences cancelling each other out.

The home side appealed for a penalty early on when Florent Malouda was blocked off by Lucio in the box, but his half-hearted appeals were waved away by the German referee.

It was Michael Ballack who had the first real effort on goal picking the ball up midway in the Inter half before dragging his effort wide of the post from outside the area.

The opening 25 minutes of the game matched the fiery atmosphere in the stadium with a few late challenges going in, resulting in a couple of scuffles between players.

Midway through the first half, Malouda rose well in the box to flick the ball onto Drogba but two Inter defenders threw their bodies in the way to block the Ivorian's effort, with Frank Lampard blasting the rebound over the bar.

The best chance of the half fell to Eto'o after John Terry misjudged a delightful cross by Maicon on the right, but the Cameroon international headed over the bar at the far post when he really should have tested Turnbull.

Five minutes before the break, Malouda turned brilliantly on the edge of the box but Walter Samuel dived in well to block the wingers' effort.

Nicolas Anelka then had Chelsea's best chance of the half. Drogba chipped a ball over the Inter back four and found his strike partner in space, but the Frenchman could not get enough power on his effort and it was blocked by Julio Cesar.

Sam's the man | Eto'o's goal sent Inter through

Ancelotti's side were getting on top for the first time in the game and Drogba was unlucky not to win a penalty when he was rugby tackled to the ground off the ball by Samuel.

Lampard then found himself free in the box but just as he was about to get a shot away, Samuel slid in again and managed to get the ball away for a corner.

It was the home side's best spell of the game and they continued to press forward, but they failed to make the breakthrough before the half-time whistle blew.

Chelsea started the second half well and tried to pick up the momentum they created at the end of the first.

They had an opportunity to test Cesar in the Inter goal early on from a Drogba free-kick, however the Blues' No.11 failed to get any power on his effort and it was dealt with comfortably by the Brazilian keeper.

Malouda then beat Maicon on the left, drilling his shot in from a tight angle, forcing Cesar to turn the ball around the near post for a corner.

Despite the home side's early pressure, at the start of the second half it was Inter who created the best chance.

Pandev was played in beautifully by Wesley Sneijder on the hour mark but the striker took far too long when bearing down on goal and Yuri Zhirkov got across superbly to make a crucial challenge.

This seemed to give the away side more confidence and they started to enjoy a heavy spell of pressure themselves as Milito beat the offside trap finding himself in acres of space but he rushed his effort when through on goal, scuffing it wide of the far post.

Thiago Motta then missed another great opportunity for Mourinho's side, heading over the bar from a Sneijder free-kick when he should have at least tested Turnbull.

With 20 minutes remaining, Salomon Kalou replaced Zhirkov and almost made an immediate impact bursting into the box but failing to get a shot on goal.

On 78 minutes, though, Inter got the crucial away goal that ended Chelsea's Champions League dreams for another season.

The dangerous Eto'o was played in by another glorious pass from Sneijder, beating the offside trap and firing past Turnbull.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of the home side and they never really got going again.

Drogba was sent off with five minutes remaining in controversial fashion after allegedly kicking out at Thiago Motta and Eto'o could have got his second goal of the game in added time but Turnbull made a great save to deny the former Barcelona star.

The sending off added to what had proved a miserable night for Chelsea but a memorable one for Jose Mourinho and his Inter side who progress to the quarter-finals.