CHELSEA V LFC PREVIEW

SKY Sports 30 April 2008
Chelsea have the opportunity to banish their UEFA Champions League semi-final hoodoo against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge tonight.

Revenge can be an over used verb in football but it cannot be questioned that, in this second leg meeting in the final four of Europe's premier cup competition, the R-word will be bouncing around the home dressing room in West London with a certain degree of frequency.

Having been sent packing by the Reds at the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2007, it would have to be a kind-hearted Blue who suggests that Liverpool are simply the final obstacle in the battle to secure an all-English meeting with Manchester United in Moscow on 21st May.

Chelsea players admit that the memory of their previous eliminations at the hands of their Merseyside visitors sits painfully in the back seat of the mind, but they now appear well placed to avenge those entrances in the history books following last week's 1-1 first leg draw at Anfield.

Liverpool, though, will be happy to be cast as the underdogs as they aim to rake up painful flashbacks for their hosts, while the five-time European champions will also be twitching at the prospect of setting up an all-red Russian meeting with North West rivals United in three weeks' time.

Boss Rafa Benitez appears to be compensating for the absence of former foe Jose Mourinho in provoking any possible war of words with Grant, but the Spaniard's motives and continental pedigree cannot be doubted as he bids to steer Liverpool to a third Champions League final appearance in four years.

Benitez has made no secret of his feelings towards the, perceived to be, animated antics of Didier Drogba and do not be surprised to see the Liverpool chief prowling his technical area following any foul awarded in favour of the Chelsea striker.

Drogba is expected to spearhead a three-pronged attack alongside wingers Joe Cole and Florent Malouda while, in midfield, Frank Lampard should play after missing Chelsea's Premier League victory over United last weekend through compassionate leave.

Ghanaian powerhouse Michael Essien is also expected to return to add some bite to the Chelsea bark following his suspension-enforced absence in the first leg, but Grant is set to play the midfielder in a right-back role.

After ringing the changes in the domestic outing at Birmingham last Saturday, Benitez will return to his star names as defender Jamie Carragher and captain Steven Gerrard start, while striker Fernando Torres will be charged with the vital task of ending Liverpool's eight-game goal drought at Stamford Bridge.

Defender Fabio Aurelio is out for the season after tearing an adductor muscle eight days ago and that is likely to mean Alvaro Arbeloa is shifted to the left of a back four as Steve Finnan comes in on the right.

John Arne Riise would appear to be the Reds' natural left-footed option, but the Norwegian's infamous injury-time own goal last week is likely to leave Benitez begging to differ.

CL Preview: Liverpool - Chelsea

Goal.com

The first of this week’s Champions League semi-finals is an all-English affair and sees Liverpool and Chelsea go head-to-head at this stage of the competition for the third time in four years. Can the Blues exact revenge for the previous two defeats?

Chelsea Looking For Revenge

Things are never calm at Chelsea football club and this has been made abundantly clear in the past week.


Monday night at Stamford Bridge – the Blues are 1-0 up and Emile Heskey pops up to net Wigan Athletic a late equaliser. Chelsea are done for, the title is United’s, Grant is a loser and it’s all his fault.


Fast forward to Thursday, where up on Merseyside Michael Essien snatches the all-important goal as Chelsea earn a vital win at Everton. By Saturday, United’s inability to claim all three points at Blackburn means the gap is once again three points. Avram Grant might have grumped his way through the post-match Press conference, but suddenly this is the guy who could lead Chelsea to an historic league and European Cup double.


This is the Blues’ fourth trip to the Champions League semi-finals in five years. They have yet to reach the final but it is perhaps fitting that they one again face Liverpool, twice the architects of Chelsea’s European demise at this stage.


With the showpiece event scheduled for Roman Abramovich’s homeland and the bitterness of 2005 and 2007 still evident in the Blues camp, there has never been a greater incentive to exact revenge. Avram Grant’s side made light work of Fenerbahçe at Stamford Bridge but stumbled to a defeat in the away leg. A similar result at Anfield is not an option against a Reds side who will likely not roll over like the Turks did in London.


Chelsea, meanwhile, know that they need to score on this trip to Anfield. They’ve failed to do so on any of their previous three Champions League games there, and recent profligacy in front of goal will be a concern. In cagey cup ties you must take what few chances you get.




After Athens Comes Moscow?

Liverpool go into the semi-final as outsiders with the bookmakers and behind Chelsea in the league. Will that worry the Reds? It was exactly the same in 2005 and 2007. Blues fans have often pointed to Liverpool’s fortune in Europe (lucky penalties, goals that never were) but when you’ve reached two finals in three years and dispatched the likes of Arsenal, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona and Juventus – as well as Chelsea twice – you must be doing something right.


Going into this first leg it’s fair to say that the psychological advantage lies with Liverpool, not only because of what has transpired in years past, but also because of results in Europe this season. The confidence gained from eliminating Inter and Arsenal, where three games were won and one was drawn, will be far greater than that the Blues can yield from overcoming the relative minnows of Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe.


After a close call earlier in the campaign, the European mentality at Anfield is alive and well. Belief, tradition and a useful run of form (eleven wins and just one defeat in the last 14 games) give Rafa Benítez’ side every confidence of ruining Abramovich’s dream for a third time.


This Liverpool side is stronger than those fielded on those previous occasions, but this remains the Reds’ toughest task yet thanks to the second leg taking place down in London. The atmosphere at Anfield will still be tremendous, but without knowing their Stamford Bridge fate the Reds will not so easily be able to sit on a 1-0 or 0-0 like in those previous encounters. The search for a healthy home win carries with it the danger of exposure at the back, but that is a risk Liverpool must take: Stamford Bridge has been a miserable away ground for 20 years.

BENITEZ: WE ARE GOING TO ARSENAL TO WIN

Rafa Benitez says Liverpool are going to Arsenal with nothing but thoughts of victory on their minds.

The Reds boss - though fully aware of the quality in the Gunners' ranks - believes his team have the ability to record an away win at the Emirates in tomorrow night's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Having won eight of their last nine games, Liverpool go into the game high on confidence and Benitez is backing his players to deliver on the big European stage yet again.

He said: "We will be looking for a win. We know Arsenal are a very good team but we are playing well at the moment, creating chances and winning games, and we have confidence.

"When you play in games like this you want to win and to do that you have to score at least one goal so we will be looking to do that."

Liverpool have not won at Arsenal since February 2000 when a Titi Camara goal was the difference between the two sides.

But Benitez believes the fact that tomorrow night's clash comes in European competition makes it a very different game.

"It will be different because it is in Europe," he said. "That does not mean it will be easier or harder, just different.

"The away goals rule means teams have to approach games in a different way to the way they approach league games and that is something for us to bear in mind."