Chelsea reached the Champions League final for the first time on Wednesday, beating Liverpool 3-2 after extra time at rain-lashed Stamford Bridge to set up a meeting with Manchester United in Moscow next month.

Two goals from Didier Drogba and a penalty from a grieving Frank Lampard gave them a 4-3 aggregate victory in a dramatic semi-final against the side that had knocked them out twice at this stage in the last three seasons.

Liverpool’s goals came from Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, whose speculative 40-metre shot three minutes from the end of extra time somehow bamboozled Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech and revived Liverpool’s hopes for the last few minutes. But Chelsea held on in an absorbing match that was in the balance until the final kick.

They can now look forward to facing Manchester United in the first all-English Champions League final on May 21.

“It has not sunk in properly,” said Chelsea captain John Terry. “We will enjoy tonight but it will take 24 hours to sink in.”

Decisive impact

WHILE Drogba was the scoring hero on Wednesday with two excellent, powerfully-executed goals, the remarkable Lampard was the emotional focus of Chelsea’s ecstatic fans.

The England midfielder, back following the death of his 58-year-old mother last week, wept after scoring the decisive penalty that put them 2-1 ahead in the 98th minute and got a standing ovation when he was substituted near the end.

He had a decisive impact on the match, too, beginning the move that led to Chelsea’s opening goal after 33 minutes and which Drogba completed after Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina did well to parry a fiercely struck shot from Salomon Kalou.

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