Rafael Benitez praised Chelsea’s players after they saw off Basel at Stamford Bridge to reach the Europa League final.
The Blues’ 3-1 win gave them a 5-2 victory on aggregate and set up a showdown with Benfica in the final.
It also took Benitez a step closer to winning a trophy before his time as interim manager comes to an end.
He said: “I am really pleased for the players. I was really pleased with them before and am pleased with them now.
“Credit to the players in the second half. They were on top of them and we scored three goals. We controlled the game.
“I think we have a good atmosphere in the side and the players are working hard.”
The Spaniard also allayed fears that Blues playmaker Eden Hazard had suffered an injury.
Hazard was substituted after appearing to pick up a knock during the second half, but Benitez insisted the move was purely a precaution.
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This post was last modified on 03/05/2013