Avram Grant believes in Chelsea´s Champions League destiny

AFP - 8 April 2008 23:09

Chelsea´s Frank Lampard celebrates after scoring against Fenerbahce during the second leg of their Champions League Quarter Finals match at home. Chelsea won 2-0 to win a trip to the Champions League semi-finals.

LONDON (AFP) - Avram Grant believes Chelsea are destined to finally end their Champions League misery against Liverpool and go on to win Europe's top club prize.

Grant's side set up their third semi-final meeting with Liverpool in the last four seasons after a 2-0 victory over Fenerbahce at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Michael Ballack's first half header and a late Frank Lampard strike sealed the 3-2 aggregate success, putting the Blues back in with a chance to avenge their two previous defeats to Liverpool at this stage.

Rafa Benitez's side have proved to be Chelsea's European nemesis, with bitter memories of Luis Garcia's 'phantom' goal at Anfield in 2005 still a source of anquish at the Bridge.

Last season's penalty shoot-out defeat on Merseyside was equally painful but at least Chelsea have the decisive second leg at home this time on April 30. The English rivals will meet at Anfield in the first leg on April 22.

Grant's predecessor Jose Mourinho was in charge for those two semi-final defeats, but the Israeli is convinced he can make sure it is third time lucky.

"This is the first news they told me, that is was Liverpool in the semi-finals," Grant said. "The one thing I always wanted to know is the future. I don't know the future but we will do our best to be in the final.

"Of course I believe we can win it. I am optimistic by nature. I believed that when I received the team after the draw against Rosenborg here and there were five teams ahead of us in the league and I don't know how many points.

"I said that we could do good things this year. Now we are close."

Once again Chelsea, who have reached the semi-finals four times in the last five years, made hard work of a relatively straight-forward task.

After Ballack's goal it took two superb saves from substitute goalkeeper Hilario to keep them ahead and Grant admitted he was nervous at times.

"I feel good because our target was to be in the semi-final of the Champions League and we did it," he said.

"It was not so easy. In Fenerbahce we played better than we did tonight. It was a nervous game and we defended well."

With a Champions League semi-final secured and Manchester United still within touching distance in the Premier League, Grant should be ecstatic. But there is a dark cloud on his horizon.

Losing Petr Cech to a horrific facial injury that will keep him out for at least two weeks was bad enough, so Grant must have cursed his luck when Carlo Cudicini limped off in the first half with hamstring injury that could lead to a long lay-off.

Hilario will have to be elevated from third choice keeper to number one, leaving only Rhys Taylor, an 18-year-old academy graduate, in reserve.

"The news is that is doesn't look so good for the moment with Carlo but we need to wait and see. It is his hamstring," Grant said.

"This year I am more a doctor than a manager, I need to answer every week about injuries.

"Hilario was good. It is very important for a third goalkeeper when you need him, and we have needed him this year, to do a good job. It's not easy when you lose your goalkeeper."

After their second half meltdown in Istanbul last week, Chelsea left Turkey nursing a sense of injustice.

It was clear they were determined to put the record straight. Grant's side tore into Fenerbahce, taking the lead in only the fourth minute.

Lampard's free-kick was curled into the near post and Ballack cleverly found space to glance his header past Volkan Demirel.

Hilario stretched to keep out Gokhan Gonul's volley, then leapt to his right to deny Colin Kazim-Richards in the second half.

Michael Essien got a booking that will rule him out of the semi-final first leg. But as Fenerbahce pressed desperately Lampard put the result beyond doubt with a close-range strike in the 87th minute from Essien's cross.

Fenerbahce's first appearance in the last eight ended in disappointment but coach Zico was encouraged by their displays.

"The players showed discipline and enthusiasm, they did as much as they could do and showed great character," he said. "We are very sorry we could not continue this journey."