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Chelsea beats Birmingham 2-0 to advance in FA Cup

Chelsea reached the FA Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, winning a replay 2-0 at Birmingham in its first match since firing coach Andre Villas-Boas.

Juan Mata and Raul Meireles scored second-half goals to take the Premier League club through to a meeting with another second-tier side, Leicester.

Interim coach Roberto Di Matteo left Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Daniel Sturridge out of his starting lineup and, after a scoreless first half, Mata poked in a 53rd-minute opener after Birmingham failed to clear a cross by Ramires.

Ramires then set up Meireles seven minutes later for a 25-meter (yard) strike into the top corner.

Tottenham hosts third-tier club Stevenage in another replayed fifth-round match on Wednesday.

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