Branislav Ivanovic hails Chelsea resilience

Chelsea hero Branislav Ivanovic has paid tribute to his teammates for the character shown to beat Liverpool and seal their passage into the League Cup final.

The big Serbian powered a header past Simon Mignolet in the fourth minute of extra time as Jose Mourinho's side beat the Reds 1-0 at Stamford Bridge - 2-1 on aggregate - to book a spot at Wembley.

The Blues survived a number of scares when Thibaut Courtois repelled efforts from Alberto Moreno and Philippe Coutinho, and Ivanovic says that resilience will stand Chelsea in good stead as they battle for two other trophies this season.

"It was a very hard game. We are very happy we are going to Wembley," he told Sky Sports News.

"This is a game where you show the real character of the team and we are very happy.

"I'm happy with my goal but I think this game is a real example of how the team has to play and the team wins the game."

They will face either Tottenham Hotspur or Sheffield United in the final, with Spurs leading 1-0 heading into the second leg at Bramall Lane tomorrow.