However much Liverpool and Atletico Madrid were frustrated by Mourinho's well-disciplined methods to stifle them in the last week, they kept Chelsea on track to trophies in the Champions League and English Premier League.
"You can play perfect football, have lots of one-touch stuff, and you lose," Chelsea winger Andre Schuerrle said. "But that's not what you want - you want to win. There's no point in playing well and losing."
Chelsea will contest a third consecutive European final, the first under Mourinho, if the team can build on a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid from the first leg.
The second leg might not be the most entertaining again to watch for neutrals, unless they want to catch Mourinho's touchline flamboyance and flashpoints.
Atletico has conceded just five goals in 11 Champions League games this season to remain the only unbeaten side and, like Chelsea, has the stingiest defense domestically.
Atletico striker Diego Costa is hoping the Stamford Bridge game is more open than the first leg. "They will have to come out a little bit more," he said.
While Chelsea, the 2012 Champions League winner, is making its seventh semifinal appearance in the last decade, Atletico is in the last four in the European Cup for the first time in 40 years.
Atletico did win the Europa League in 2012 before relinquishing the trophy to Chelsea last May.
By also breaking up the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly in Spain this season, Atletico has shown itself not to be burdened by past shortcomings.
Unlike Chelsea, which is second in the Premier League title race, Atletico leads the way in Spain after winning nine consecutive matches to close in on the trophy for the first time since 1996.
"It's clear our team is prepared for the biggest contests and is very confident," captain Gabi Fernandez said.
"This team's conviction is so resolute, it's something you rarely see. We're players that haven't won much. We're all pretty much rookies when it comes to winning trophies. The hunger is what characterizes us."
