The Reds came into the tie with the near impossible task of having to score three goals at Stamford Bridge, they scored four - but unfortunately for them so did the Blues.

Benitez said: "We showed character, quality and we have to be really proud.

"The players have done a fantastic job and the fans will be very pleased with the team.

"We were on top of them from the beginning and doing a fantastic job. It is a credit to all the players, especially Lucas in the middle in the position of Steven Gerrard - he worked very hard.

"Thanks to them we were pushing and were very close. But when you play against a good team like Chelsea, if you make a mistake you pay for them.

"We were attacking and controlling but one or two mistakes allowed them to score.

"We are not happy with the result. When you lose you are disappointed but to lose in this way, the players have to be really proud and hold their heads up high."

An upbeat Benitez added: "Maybe it is a positive because we saw we can score four goals here and we can do the same in any stadium. We can win a lot of games with this mentality."

(Soccer365.com)