With a semi-final berth achieved, Avram Grant believes it was the result rather than the performance that mattered at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

A 2-0 win over Fenerbahçe sends us through 3-2 on aggregate, and sets up a third Champions League semi-final date with Liverpool in four seasons.

It will be our fourth appearance at that stage in five, and Grant is hopeful that we can go all the way to Moscow.

Goals at either end of the game from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard were enough to guarantee progression past our tricky Turkish opponents, and Grant admitted it was not his side's best performance.

'I feel good because our target was to be in the semi-final of the Champions League, and we did it. It was not so easy, I know that at Fenerbahçe we played much better than today.

'We started well, but then it was a nervous game. We defended well because they didn't create any chances but most important is the result and that was good for us.'

One downside to the evening was the injury picked up by Carlo Cudicini, which forced our second choice goalkeeper off, allowing a substitute appearance for Hilario.

'I feel this year that I am more doctor than manager, I need to answer almost every week about another injury,' Grant sighed.

'Hilario was good today, he is very important as a third goalkeeper and when we need him he is here, and he always did a good job. The news is that he [Cudicini] didn't look so good but we will have to wait and see.'

Grant conceded that we surrendered possession too cheaply, but was pleased with the side's resolute defending.

'It is reasonable when you know a draw is not good for them that they will send forward more players. We wanted to dominate the game and make some good counter-attacks, but our last pass was not so good. They held the ball but I don't think they created even one chance.'

With Liverpool to come, Grant remains optimistic.

'This was the first news that they told me, Liverpool in the semi-finals. The one thing I always want is to know the future, I don't know the future but we will do our best. We are less than an hour after the game against Fenerbahçe.

'I am optimistic by nature. I believe when I received the team after a draw against Rosenborg here, we were behind in the league, then I said I believed we could do good things, and now we are close.'