A 'special' manager evidently has special powers.

Jose Mourinho may not have been on the bench to witness Chelsea's stirring rally to seize a quarter-final lead against Bayern Munich due to his two-match touchline ban.

However, the Chelsea boss still somehow managed to inspire his side into renewed action as Frank Lampard struck twice after Bastian Schweinsteiger had equalised Joe Cole's early deflected effort.

Didier Drogba looked to have rounded off a convincing 4-1 win, only for Chelsea's grip on the tie to be loosened slightly by a late penalty from Michael Ballack.

That would have infuriated Mourinho, who had been viewing the game in private on television, even if his team had responded to his absence by growing in stature as the match progressed.

That extended to the bench, where his trusted lieutenants, Baltemar Brito and Steve Clarke, were aided by fitness coach Rui Faria as they seized back control of the game.

Rarely has a fitness coach had such an integral say on team affairs but Faria seemed to be involved in most decisions.

Wearing a hat on a relatively mild evening, television cameras showed him repeatedly touching his right ear and sharing his thoughts with Clarke and Brito, who were seated in front of him. Maybe he was just translating between the manager's two assistants.

After all, Chelsea had promised there would be no repeat of the 'tricks' used by their manager during a similar ban at Porto.

In Mourinho's physical absence, fortune had favoured Chelsea as they seized the lead after just four minutes.

Robert Kovac failed to clear the ball properly but Damien Duff's ball to Cole still carried little obvious danger and neither did the midfielder's shot from the edge of the penalty area.

However, the ball took a wicked deflection off Lucio and left keeper Oliver Kahn powerless as he could not twist back in time to prevent Chelsea seizing the lead.

Chelsea nevertheless failed to build on that fortuitous early strike and were penned back in their own half for long periods by Bayern.

The Germans were without their two main strikers, with Roy Makaay having joined Claudio Pizarro on the injury list, but they still caused danger to the home defence.

An awful mistake by Glen Johnson, who froze when a cross came straight to him just eight yards out, gave Ze Roberto a clear sight of goal but he dragged his shot wide.

The winger also curled a free-kick just inches over the top as Chelsea somehow clung onto their lead.

They even had a handful of chances of their own, as Lampard curled a volley just wide and Kahn was out quickly to smother the ball at Duff's feet.

After the break, Duff raced through again and while Kahn parried his shot, Willy Sagnol hooked the ball off the line.

However, Chelsea were still vulnerable at the back and even keeper Petr Cech made an uncharacteristic error as Bayern drew level on 51 minutes.

The Czech Republic international could only parry Ze Robert's shot after Ballack's free-kick had cannoned into the wall and Schweinsteiger pounced from close range to bury his shot.

That at least spurred Chelsea into renewed activity. Drogba shot weakly at Kahn but then flicked a header into Lampard's path and the midfielder's finishing once again did not let him down.

Lampard may not have struck the ball as sweetly as normal but it still evaded Kahn as the shot inched just inside the far post.

Clarke just happened to have a brief chat with Faria before deciding to bring on Robert Huth for Johnson, while Chelsea's resurgence continued.

Duff had a drive tipped around post by Kahn but Lampard was not finished there.

If his first goal was not struck perfectly, his second was a pile-driver, controlling a cross from Claude Makelele on his chest before swivelling and powering a half-volley past Kahn.

Chelsea moved further ahead with 10 minutes left as Lampard's corner was flicked on by Huth and even though Eidur Gudjohnsen's initial effort was blocked, Drogba rammed home the loose ball.

With Mikael Forssell making a long-awaited comeback from injury as a late substitute, Chelsea's evening looked to be complete - until Ricardo Carvalho was harshly penalised for a foul on Ballack.

Deep into injury time, the Bayern skipper converted the spot-kick to give his side a glimmer of hope. Even Mourinho could do little about that.

Teams

Chelsea Cech, Johnson (Huth 65), Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Gallas, Cole (Tiago 82), Lampard, Makelele, Duff, Gudjohnsen, Drogba (Forssell 89).

Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Smertin, Geremi, Nuno Morais.

Booked: Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Gallas, Makelele.

Goals: Lucio 5 og, Lampard 59, 70, Drogba 81.

Bayern Munich Kahn, Sagnol, Lucio, Kovac, Lizarazu, Salihamidzic (Schweinsteiger 45), Frings, Ballack, Hargreaves, Ze Roberto (Scholl 73), Guerrero.

Subs Not Used: Rensing, Hashemian, Jeremies, Linke, Deisler.

Booked: Frings.

Goals: Schweinsteiger 53, Ballack 90 pen.

Att: 40,253

Ref: Rene Temmink (Holland).