Luis Garcia defended his controversial winner against Chelsea which put Liverpool into their first European Cup final in 20 years.

The Spaniard's fifth goal in this season's Champions League sent Liverpool into the final on May 25 in Istanbul but Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claimed Slovakian linesman Roman Slysko should have ruled the ball never crossed the line.

However, Garcia insisted he had hooked home a fourth-minute winner, although TV replays failed to confirm the ball was over the line, with William Gallas hooking clear.

"When Milan Baros was brought down by the keeper I just kept going and hooked it towards the goal, I felt it went in and I am very happy now," he said.

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech had flattened Baros in the run-up to the goal, but all appeals for a penalty were ended when referee Lubos Michel allowed Garcia's follow up.

But Gallas was unconvinced the ball was in.

"I don't think the ball crossed the line but even if it was a refereeing error we still had 85 minutes to win the match. We lost our heads a little bit and that's something we've been strong at all season but it just wasn't our night," said the France defender.

Coach Rafael Benitez insisted Liverpool would not fear AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League final having beaten Juventus and Chelsea.

"Each time this season, the favourites against us have lost, so we would be happy to have the same situation again," he said.

"We need to wait to see the team that we play against but it's the same to us either way, although normally it would be AC Milan, with the experience of Italian teams and being 2-0 up.

"But after that, why can't we win? If we have beaten Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea, why not AC Milan or PSV? It's possible, for sure.

"If you play in the final, it's for winning, not for losing."

The last time Liverpool reached the European Cup final was in 1985 when the match ended in the Heysel tragedy with 39 fans crushed to death and they lost to Juventus.

Liverpool are the first English club since Manchester United's 2-1 triumph over Bayern Munich in 1999 to reach the final.

Benitez, who won the UEFA Cup with Valencia last year, paid tribute to the incredible support of the Anfield fans, believing that it had

inspired his players to extra heights.

"To work hard and have our supporters behind us and believing until the end, you run a little bit more," he said.

"Before, I said that they were maybe the best supporters in England. Now maybe they are the best supporters in Europe."

A furious Mourinho meanwhile, blamed linesman Slysko for the defeat but then vowed that his side would come back stronger than ever next season.

"Football sometimes is cruel," said Mourinho.

"We have to accept the result. They scored a goal, if you can say they scored it. I can say that the linesman scored it."

He was generous, though, to Liverpool, and specifically their crowd, who maintained a constant level of raucous support throughout although he typically turned that praise into a jibe at Slysko, whose raised flag persuaded referee Lubos Michel to give the goal.

"The Anfield Road experience, I felt it, it was magnificent," Mourinho said.

"I felt it did not interfere with my players, but maybe with some other people. It maybe interfered with the result.

"I think you must ask the linesman why he gave the goal. To give it you must be 100 percent certain.

You must be sure that the ball is in. My players say it was not a goal.

"From TV I could not see, but other people say you could not confirm it was a goal. Only one person decided the future of players who have never played in a Champions League final," added Mourinho who last season won European club football's biggest prize while in charge of Porto.

But, following a goalless first leg, there was equally no denying the role of Benitez, his five-man midfield blanket and defensive fulcrum Jamie Carragher.

Eventually, Mourinho acknowledged just how impressive his opponents had been.

"If he's in the final, all credit to Benitez. I'm happy for him and I hope he can win the Cup for himself and for Liverpool."

With this season over bar the routine of the final league games, Mourinho is already looking ahead to next year.

"I know I can't win everything," he said. "I can't complain with my success, with my players or my career. I'm a happy man. I'm just sad because of the result today. But tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be at training preparing for next season."