Final Score: Chelsea 3 Benfica 1

INTERIM manager Rafael Benitez will aim to complete his ‘‘professional job’’ at Chelsea with a major trophy after his side progressed to the Europa League final.

The Blues will meet Benfica in the May 15 final after three goals in ten minutes shortly after half-time secured a decisive 3-1 second-leg semi-final win over Basle.

The Swiss champions had threatened to spring a surprise when Mohamed Salah opened the scoring just before half-time, but Chelsea quickly ended the tie with goals from Fernando Torres, Victor Moses and David Luiz.

Chelsea, therefore, progressed 5-2 on aggregate to provide Benitez, who was has been subjected to jeers from the Stamford Bridge crowd since taking over in November, with a chance to end his tumultuous reign with a European title.

‘‘I came to do a professional job with the commitment of the players. I am really pleased for them and everyone here,’’ he said.

‘‘I think we have had a good atmosphere in the side. The players are working hard.

‘‘I was really pleased with them before and really pleased with them now.’’ Benitez also praised his side’s fightback – a hallmark of the team in recent weeks – after Salah’s strike had left them a goal away from being eliminated.

‘‘To be fair we had two clear chances first half and we failed to take them,’’ he said.

‘‘They then score and we had to react. Credit to the players in the second half.

They were on top of them and we scored three goals. We controlled the game.’’ Torres’ goal was his 20th in all competitions this season, but he was pleased to go through to the club’s second European final in as many years after they memorably won the Champions League 12 months ago.

‘‘In the first half we didn’t perform in the best way,’’ he said. ‘‘At half-time we agreed about that. We showed the concentration and mentality at the start of the half. We killed off the game. We have to think of that for the future.’’ Defender Luiz, who curled in a stunning 30-yarder to seal the result, said his side were keen to claim their first piece of silverware this season.

Chelsea have so far fallen narrowly short three times after losing in the Club World Cup final, which followed defeats in the Community Shield and Super Cup.

‘‘We have one more opportunity to win a big title,’’ he said. ‘‘We have lost three finals this season.’’