Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri said his side's 2-0 Champions League win over Besiktas on Tuesday had been a great test of character in the face of a hostile crowd.

"I wanted us to show character. I wanted us to dominate the opponents because 50,000 people are difficult to manage," Ranieri said. "It was a fantastic atmosphere...and a very important result for us."

All but 400 of the crowd at the AufSchalke stadium were supporting Besiktas because of Germany's large Turkish community.

The match was moved away from Turkey because of security concerns after several bomb attacks in Istanbul last month.

The win meant Chelsea won the group five points clear of second-placed Sparta Prague with Besiktas sent into the UEFA Cup third round and Lazio eliminated.

Besiktas coach Mircea Lucescu blamed himself for the defeat.

"I wanted to win this game but despite the change in tactics that I brought we lost, so it's my personal fault.

"We did not have the strength to score a goal against a team which is very good in defence."

Striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who scored Chelsea's first goal, said the team had played with great control.

"We gave away only one chance in the first half and other than that we were solid," he said.

"It was a little bit hostile towards us out there but these are the games you want to play," Hasselbaink added.

Defender Wayne Bridge, who scored his first goal for Chelsea, said he had not known how to celebrate.

"When we were on the bench we were getting things thrown at us so I didn't want to get too close to the crowd."