David Luiz struck in the final kick of the game to give Chelsea the advantage going into the second leg of the Europa League semifinals against FC Basel, while Fenerbahce take a 1-0 lead over Benfica.

Chelsea were staring at a 1-1 result away from home in the first leg, after Fabian Schar, via the penalty spot, had canceled out Victor Moses' early goal, only for Luiz to pop up in the fourth minute of stoppage time to guide the Blues to the brink of another European final.

In a fast-paced first leg, Chelsea opened the scoring early on when Moses headed home a corner from Frank Lampard, after the latter himself had won the setpiece, forcing a nice save from Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

Petr Cech was then called into action at the other end, tipping over a powerful shot from Schar, before Fernando Torres came close to scoring his fifth goal in four games in the Europa League.

Ramires and Eden Hazard then missed nice chances to make it 2-0 before halftime. Sommer made a nice save from Ramires' volley, before Hazard failed to find the target, after some neat work from Torres and Moses had given the Belgian space to fire a shot.

Basel thought they had levelled the game three minutes into the second half, but Valentin Stocker saw his shot come off the post. Six minutes later it was Chelsea's turn to hit the woodwork, when Torres, off a pass from Hazard, smashed his strike onto the post.

Basel desperately went in search of the equalizer, and found it three minutes from time under controversial circumstances. Cesar Azplicueta was adjudged to have fouled Stocker inside the box, although replays showed the decision might have been harsh.

Schar stepped up to take the penalty, and fired it into the back of the net, as the Swiss side looked like keeping the tie very much in the balance.

However, in stoppage time, after Sommer had made a brilliant save to deny skipper John Terry from scoring, the Basel goalkeeper could not do enough to stop Luiz's freekick from sneaking in.

In the other semifinal, Fenerbahce take a slender 1-0 lead into the second leg at Benfica, thanks to a winner from Egeman Korkmaz.

Fenerbahce would have been kicking themselves had they not come out of the first leg in Istanbul with a lead, after hitting the woodwork twice, while also missing a penalty in the first half.

However, just when it looked like Benfica might escape with a goalless draw, Korkmaz gave Fenerbahce the deserved goal on 72 minutes, rising highest to head home a corner.