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Jose Mourinho will have to conjure up another smash and grab raid at Old Trafford if Chelsea are to reach the final of the Carling Cup.

Mourinho's Porto famously dumped United out of the Champions League last season and his touchline celebrations have never been forgotten by the Old Trafford diehards.

Chelsea will now have to emulate that success if they are to progress to the final in Cardiff at the end of February after this first leg semi-final ended goalless.

Sir Alex Ferguson remains convinced that Chelsea's season will inevitably suffer a setback at some point this year.

He is equally adamant that the Londoners cannot win all four of the competitions they are currently involved in. His words may have been chosen with the direct purpose of unsettling Mourinho's men ahead of this clash, but they had little effect on a Chelsea side that set off at a frantic pace.

Both teams, as expected, fielded more high-profile personnel than in previous rounds.

Mourinho was bolder than his United counterpart by putting out a side that was just two short of the team that normally turns out in the Barclays Premiership.

Only goalkeeper Petr Cech and suspended Dutch winger Arjen Robben were missing from his line-up.

Ferguson kept Alan Smith and Paul Scholes on the bench but Louis Saha returned from a knee injury for his first game in two months while Gabriel Heinze, Wayne Rooney and Mikael Silvestre made their first appearances of United's Carling Cup campaign.

England striker Rooney led the United attack after completing a three-match ban as United looked to continue Sir Alex Ferguson's unbeaten semi-final record.

The United boss has recorded four victories in this competition plus six more in the FA Cup and it was no surprise when the tie got off to a pulsating start - Damien Duff firing just wide of the target with a 25-yard drive in the 11th minute.

United, meanwhile, had two early penalty appeals turned down by referee Neale Barry who adjudged that neither Saha or Cristiano Ronaldo had been illegally challenged by the Chelsea defence.

Chelsea were clearly the better side in the opening period but could not turn their possession into clear cut opportunities in front of goal.

Indeed, their best effort came in the 27th minute when Frank Lampard sent a glancing header just wide of Tim Howard's right-hand post from a beautifully presented right-wing cross from full-back Paulo Ferreira.

Two minutes later Chelsea had a goal correctly ruled out for offside when Eidur Gudjohnsen tucked home a Duff volley. The opening half was played at a fast and furious cup-tie pace and the frenzied activity made for an enthralling spectacle.

In the 38th minute, Carlo Cudicini had to be at his best to tip a header from Rooney around the post after Darren Fletcher's cross had found him unmarked eight yards out.

It was United's best moment of the first-half and the only occasion that Rooney had successfully evaded the shackles of John Terry and William Gallas.

With neither side capable of breaking the deadlock, Mourinho opted to replace Gudjohnsen with the more physical presence of Didier Drogba at half-time.

As a result, it was Chelsea who began the second half with renewed vigour and they could have opened the scoring twice in as many minutes.

In the 46th minute, a poor clearance from United keeper Howard fell straight to Joe Cole but the Chelsea player's quick volley from 30 yards was wide of the target.

A minute later, United were rescued by full-back Heinze who cleared Lampard's effort off the goal-line after the Chelsea midfielder had brilliantly engineered a scoring opportunity with a clever dribble.

In the 51st minute Heinze was booked for a clumsy challenge on Drogba that also gifted Chelsea a free-kick on the right flank.

It culminated in another moment of drama for United when Lampard's free-kick fell to Drogba and the Ivory Coast striker forced Howard into another fine save with a deflected drive.

On the hour, Ferguson clearly sensed the first leg was there for the taking and introduced former England midfielder Scholes into the fray in place of Eric Djemba-Djemba. Mourinho responded by sending on Mateja Kezman in place of the injured Tiago five minutes later.

It meant Cole reverted to a more familiar midfield role while Kezman joined Duff and Drogba in attack.

In the 72nd minute, Saha sent a tame header into the grateful arms of Cudicini at the end of a rare United counter-attack.

Chelsea were in desperate need of some inspiration and in the absence of the suspended Robben, Mourinho looked to new signing Jiri Jarosik to provide it.

The former CSKA Moscow midfielder replaced Cole for the final 15 minutes as Chelsea sought to capitalise on their home advantage.

Seven minutes from time the switch almost paid dividends when Jarosik's shot from 10 yards was beaten out by Howard and Phil Neville on the United goal-line.

Two minutes from time the game spilled over into a bad tempered scuffle between Drogba and Ronaldo close the dugout that brought a confrontation between numerous players. Referee Barry restored order and then booked both protagonists as the game petered out into a goalless draw.

Teams
Chelsea: Cudicini, Paulo Ferreira, Terry, Gallas, Bridge, Lampard, Makelele, Tiago (Kezman 66), Cole (Jarosik 75), Gudjohnsen (Drogba 45), Duff.

Subs Not Used: Cech, Johnson.

Booked: Drogba.

Man Utd: Howard, Phil Neville, Silvestre, O'Shea, Heinze, Ronaldo (Smith 90), Fletcher, Djemba-Djemba (Scholes 61), Fortune, Saha, Rooney.

Subs Not Used: Carroll, Miller, Spector.

Booked: Heinze, Ronaldo.

Att: 41,492

Ref: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).