Chelsea ease into League Cup semis; Dortmund thump Hannover
December 19, 2012 -- Updated 2259 GMT (0659 HKT)
Fernando Torres was on the scoresheet as Chelsea beat Leeds 5-1 to reach the League Cup semifinals
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Chelsea bounce back from Club World Cup final defeat with a win at Leeds
- Rafael Benitez's side beat second tier Leeds 5-1 to reach League Cup last four
- Holders Borussia Dortmund thrash Hannover 5-1 in the German Cup
- Lazio go through to the last eight of the Coppa Italia but Napoli are knocked out
(CNN) -- Globetrotting Chelsea bounced back from their defeat in the FIFA Club World Cup final to Corinthians with a resounding victory in the League Cup at Leeds.
Rafael Benitez's side ran out 5-1 winners at the second tier outfit, having trailed 1-0 at halftime, thanks to goals from Juan Mata, Branislav Ivanovic, Victor Moses, Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres.
Having arrived back in London from Japan on Monday after their defeat in FIFA's showpiece club tournament, Chelsea progressed to the last eight on a rain-soaked night Yorkshire.
Luciano Becchio gave Leeds -- European Champions League semifinalists back in 2001 -- a first half lead but Spain's Mata equalized early in the second half.
Read: Corinthians down Chelsea to take World title
Two goals in two minutes took the tie away from Leeds as Ivanovic nodded home from a corner before Moses' shot from outside the area found the net.
Schmeichel's Champions League prediction

The Secret Footballer says in the early days of in-play betting players used to make money by manipulating elements of the match such as who would win the first throw in.
Former Southampton man Claus Lundekvam has insisted that whilst he and the other players knew what they were doing at the time was illegal, it was never considered more than a bit of fun. Players, he claims, would bet on anything from who would get carded to the recipient of the first throw-in. En route to away matches everything was fair game for a flutter, he says, except for the score.
Lars Bohinen enjoyed eight successful years in the Premier League, and played alongside Lundekvam at international level for Norway. He explains that whilst he heard talk of spot-fixing, he never fully bought into the idea. It is only now, years after his retirement, that he considers that gambling talk between the players was more than a harmless joke. He also believes that there is far more addiction amongst top-flight players than people see. "You could sense it from the way they gambled", he says.
For former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams holds the matter of addiction amongst professioanl footballers much more seriously. After overcoming drug and alcohol problems he fouded the Sporting Chance Clinic, dedicated to help other sportsmen and women do the same. The Professional Footballers' Association and ex-Gunner Paul Merson are also patrons.
In-play betting
Lundekvam speaks out
Bohinen's concern
Adams' addiction
HIDE CAPTION
Match-fixing in football
Controversial celebrations
Match-fixing shame
Unbeaten run to Serie A title
Conte restores Juve pride
Del Piero's farewell
Like father, like son
HIDE CAPTION
Juventus revived under president Agnelli
Hazard finished calmly in the game's dying stages when sprung through on goal and the Belgian then teed up Torres for his sixth goal in five games.
Benitez, who replaced the sacked Roberto Di Matteo in November, told Sky Sports: "The team was quite good in first half; there were some situations where the keeper played pretty well.
"The players were a little tired but the reaction was amazing. We were looking for character and the reaction was so good, there were a lot of positives in this game."
Asked whether he felt more settled in the job after a difficult start Benitez replied: "I was comfortable from the first day. I will try and do my best until the end."
Chelsea will now face Swansea in the final four, while another Premier League side, Aston Villa, will play fourth tier Bradford, who knocked out Arsenal.
Elsewhere, champions Borussia Dortmund set up a repeat of last year's German Cup final against runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich after thumping Hannover 5-1.
German international Mario Gotze scored a hat-trick while Pole Jakub Blaszczykowski grabbed two goals. Dortmund will now face Bayern hoping for a repeat of their 5-2 victory in last season's final.
VfL Bochum, VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg are also through to the last eight.
Read: Napoli hit by match-fixing related points deduction
In Italy, Napoli were defeated at home by Bologna for the second time in three days as they crashed out of the Italian Cup. It was their first match since being docked two points and having two players banned in a match-fixing scandal.
Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani gave Napoli the lead but goals from Cristian Pasquato and Panagiotis Kone have the away side a 2-1 win to go with their their 3-2 success in Serie A on Sunday.
Lazio had to rely on penalties to edge past Siena, while Fiorentina triumphed 1-0 away at Udinese.
Part of complete coverage on
June 18, 2013 -- Updated 2303 GMT (0703 HKT)
In Brazil many believe the World Cup has seen the rich line their pockets, while the poor make do with crumbling public services.
No European team has ever won a World Cup in South America, but that could likely change next year, says CNN's John Sinnott.
June 14, 2013 -- Updated 1950 GMT (0350 HKT)
Brazil's fans were ready to celebrate a first World Cup triumph, but what happened next has left a burning scar in the nation's psyche.
NN World Sport examines why racism continues to be a problem in football and what is being done to tackle discrimination.
June 13, 2013 -- Updated 1207 GMT (2007 HKT)
Germany's Under-21s may bowed out of the European Championship Finals in Israel, but their experiences left a lasting impression.
Be part of CNN's coverage of European Champions League matches and join the social debate.
CNN's James Masters has had a close look at the next generation of European football stars at the U21 championship in Israel.
June 6, 2013 -- Updated 1425 GMT (2225 HKT)
A former Palestinian player, once held without charge for three years, is campaigning for a boycott of Israel's staging of a major European tournament.
May 23, 2013 -- Updated 1052 GMT (1852 HKT)
When Germany's two biggest soccer clubs go head-to-head in the Champions League final, there can only be one winner: German industry.
May 22, 2013 -- Updated 1356 GMT (2156 HKT)
The Bundesliga model of sustainability is very much in vogue. But are Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund creating a dangerous duopoly?
May 23, 2013 -- Updated 1015 GMT (1815 HKT)
CNN takes an exclusive look at the venue of the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
May 17, 2013 -- Updated 1710 GMT (0110 HKT)
David Beckham embraced his tag as a "gay icon" and has been credited with breaking the big taboo -- homosexuality in football.
May 13, 2013 -- Updated 0750 GMT (1550 HKT)
'King' Alex Ferguson is quitting Manchester United but the $3.17 billion brand will survive, according to experts.
May 7, 2013 -- Updated 1418 GMT (2218 HKT)
Italian football lags behind its other European rivals commercially, but newly-crowned Italian champions Juventus is showing Serie A clubs an example of revival.
April 24, 2013 -- Updated 1434 GMT (2234 HKT)
Luis Suarez's biting of Branislav Ivanovic is the latest episode of moments of madness when soccer stars behave badly.
March 29, 2013 -- Updated 0938 GMT (1738 HKT)
Sunderland's partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation is part of its bid to woo the African market.
March 28, 2013 -- Updated 1558 GMT (2358 HKT)
Each year as many as 700 Cameroonian young footballers leave Africa in search of a professional career abroad.
May 6, 2013 -- Updated 1201 GMT (2001 HKT)
Referees across Europe are feeling the heat. Insulted, threatened, chased off the field, attacked, hospitalized and, tragically, killed.
February 26, 2013 -- Updated 1225 GMT (2025 HKT)
Footballers have a battery of physios, fitness trainers and doctors all striving to fine-tune their physique -- but are they missing a trick?
June 10, 2013 -- Updated 1041 GMT (1841 HKT)
Hardcore Italian football "ultra" Federico is a Lazio supporter who happily admits directing monkey chants at black players.
Today's five most popular stories