Chelsea's manager Avram Grant drops to his knees at the final whistle as his team beat Liverpool during their Champions League second-leg semi-final at Stamford Bridge yesterday. - AP

LONDON (AP):

AVRAM GRANT has done what Jose Mourinho never managed to accomplish with Chelsea - put the London club into the Champions League final.

The Blues held on to beat Liverpool 3-2 in extra time on Wednesday in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, and their 4-3 aggregate win sent them to the final on May 21 in Moscow, where they will face Manchester United.

Frank Lampard, playing for the first time since his mother died of pneumonia on Thursday, scored from the penalty spot in the 98th minute and Didier Drogba added his second goal of the night in the 105th. "What a character 'Lamps' is to come in on Sunday and train and try and block out what has been a terrible week for him and his family and everyone close to Frank,'' Chelsea captain John Terry said.

"I'm sure Frank will dedicate the goal to his mum tonight.'' Lampard beat Pepe Reina with his penalty in the 98th minute after Sami Hyypia had brought down Michael Ballack in the area.

The Chelsea midfielder ran to a corner flag after he scored and kneeled. He then took off his black armband, looked to the sky and kissed it.

After embraces from his teammates, Lampard ran back to the centre circle and pointed to his father in the crowd. Frank Lampard Sr was also a professional soccer player.

Killer goal

Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel scored for five-time champions Liverpool, who lost to AC Milan in the Champions League final last year.

"I thought we were very close. We played well in the second half, but the third goal killed it,'' Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "We had control of the game. We had two chances in extra time and we were in control and we were preventing them from creating."

It's the first all-English final in the Champions League, and it will feature the two clubs fighting for the Premier League title. Both teams have 81 points, but United lead on goal difference with two games remaining.

Lampard's penalty came only three minutes after Chelsea thought that Michael Essien had scored. But the goal was called back for offside - after the stadium scoreboard had given the goal to Chelsea and UEFA had changed the score on its website.

Undefeated

Chelsea, who haven't lost in 12 straight home games in the Champions League, were playing in the tournament's semi-finals for the fourth time in five years. The Blues had twice lost to Liverpool and once to Monaco.

Although Mourinho never got past the semi-finals with Chelsea, the Portuguese coach led FC Porto to the Champions League title in 2004.

Chelsea are also undefeated in 82 games at Stamford Bridge.

No London club has ever won the Champions League. United, who beat FC Barcelona 1-0 on Tuesday to advance to the final, have won the European Cup twice, in 1968 and 1999.