LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea reached their fourth Champions League semi-final in five seasons on Tuesday when goals from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard gave them a nervy 2-0 win over Fenerbahce.

The LOndon side's 3-2 aggregate win set them up for a third semi-final clash in four years with Liverpool, who beat Arsenal in the other quarter-final played on Tuesday.

Liverpool won both their previous encounters.

Avram Grant's side had suffered a surprise 2-1 first-leg defeat in Istanbul a week ago against the first Turkish team to reach the quarter-finals.

They attacked early to put things right and when Ballack rose at the near post to head home a free kick from Lampard in the fourth minute, victory looked straightforward.

Joe Cole hit the post in the eighth minute and Didier Drogba also came close early on but the game then descended into frantic but rather messy midfield action.

Chelsea had to rely for most of the match on third-string goalkeeper Henrique Hilario after Carlo Cudicini appeared to pull a hamstring and was substituted in the 25th minute. First choice keeper Petr Cech could not play after suffering a face injury that required stitches and plastic surgery in a freak training accident.

Fenerbahce's best chance of the first half came in the 31st minute when Uruguayan defender Diego Lugano rose unmarked in the Chelsea area to meet a free kick but he headed wide.

DROGBA CHANCE

Drogba should have put Chelsea further in front two minutes into the second half but his shot from a neat pass by Michael Essien was scooped up by Volkan Demirel in the Fenerbahce goal.

Chelsea remained jittery and Fenerbahce coach Zico upped the pressure 15 minutes into the second half, sending on former Chelsea forward Mateja Kezman for midfielder Claudio Maldonado to try to force an equaliser.

The Turks pressed forward, causing nervous moments in the Chelsea defence. In a frenzied last 10 minutes, Hilario tipped a shot from Ugur Boral round the post and then saved from Kazim Kazim.

But Lampard finished it off for the London side with three minutes to go when, on the break, Essien rounded two defenders on the right of the area and laid the ball through to the England midfielder who scored from point blank range.

Essien will miss the first leg against Liverpool through suspension after picking up a yellow card.

(Editing by Rex Gowar)