Carragher focussed on final

Liverpool’s man of the match Jamie Carragher stressed that the team could not afford to bask in the glory of beating Chelsea 1-0 to reach the final of the Champions League as they had to go on and win the trophy.

Luis Garcia’s controversial fourth-minute goal – television replays could not prove whether it had crossed the line before William Gallas cleared it – proved the decider at Anfield after the first leg had finished goalless.

Carragher and Sami Hyypia stood firm in the face of sustained Chelsea pressure but despite ecstatic scenes at the final whistle the England defender said they could not allow their focus to drift

“This club has been built on those type of nights and they have been taken away from us in the last few years but we were desperate to get back to those nights,” he told ITV1.

“I hasn’t really sunk in yet. There were great scenes at the end but at the end of the day it is only a semi-final.

“This is not finished, there is still a cup to be won.”

Carragher admitted the goal may have been fortunate but he added: “I think we were due a bit of luck against Chelsea. Whether it was in or our not, it was our turn.”

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was full of praise for Carragher, who has been the Reds’ most consistent and committed performer all season.

“What a performance, this guy put in an immense performance, unbelievable,” he said.

“Chelsea put us under pressure but we defended well. We beat the [Premiership] champions today. It was the first time in five goes [this season] but it was worth the wait.”

Gerrard too was unconcerned about the debate raging over the goal.

“We are in the final, whether it was a goal or not,” he said, before going on to praise the supporters who made it such a special night.

“It is hard to find words to describe the fans.”

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes the crowd at Anfield inspired his players to their fantastic victory.

Benitez told ITV1 the key to the 1-0 win: “To work hard and have our supporters behind us and believe until the end. When you have your supporters behind you, you run a little bit more.”

The former Valencia boss, who won the UEFA Cup last season, believes his side could have been awarded a penalty if Luis Garcia had not scored after Petr Cech had brought down Milan Baros.

Benitez added: “I haven’t seen (the goal), maybe it’s a red card for the goalkeeper and a penalty.”

But the Spaniard believes his side deserved to win the tie to send them in the final where they will probably meet AC Milan, who lead PSV Eindhoven 2-0 going into tomorrow’s second leg.

He added: “We had a good game, the same as the first leg.

“We need to enjoy it today, if Milan is the team we will try.”