REDS BOW OUT DESPITE HEROIC EFFORT Liverpool have bowed out of the Champions League with their heads held high after a dramatic 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso meant the Reds led 2-0 at half-time, but Chelsea regained their two-goal aggregate lead early in the second half through Alex and a Pepe Reina own goal.
Frank Lampard was next to score and the quarter-final tie looked over until strikes from Lucas and Dirk Kuyt late on.
Any hope of a remarkable turnaround were thwarted, however, when Lampard scored again on 89 minutes to make it 7-5 overall.
It always looked like mission impossible following Chelsea's 3-1 win at Anfield a week ago. Only once in their illustrious history had Liverpool successfully overturned a two-goal first leg deficit in Europe, and Guus Hiddink's XI were a far tougher prospect than the Auxerre side of 1991.
To make matters worse, a footballing miracle would have to be achieved without top scorer Steven Gerrard, whose adductor injury denied him a place even on the bench.
Despite all this, what seemed at best unlikely looked as if it might just happen after a thunderous first half for the visitors.
Liverpool almost took the lead on 13 minutes when Kuyt found Yossi Benayoun in a position where his silky skills can be so effective. The Israel captain used his instep to flick to Torres, who, with just Petr Cech to beat, fired over.
Six minutes later the opener came after an innocuous challenge down Chelsea's left. Aurelio shaped as if to swing the ball in the direction of a crowd of red and blue shirts hovering on the opposite side of the box, but instead curled it sweetly towards the near post. A stranded Cech had no chance and the travelling Kop started to believe. Whether it was a piece of ingenuity from Aurelio or a ruse straight from the training ground, Chelsea were all of a sudden rattled.
Liverpool were next to threaten when Torres burst down the left before cutting inside to Benayoun, who was thwarted by a late tackle from Ricardo Carvalho.
It wasn't too long before the second arrived, however; and again it came after an Aurelio free-kick down Chelsea's left. This time the full-back did swing towards the hoards, where referee Luis Medina Cantalejo spotted a tug on Alonso by last week's hero Branislav Ivanovic. With Gerrard watching from the stands, the Spanish midfielder seized the ball and sent Cech the wrong way.
With 28 minutes gone, the aggregate score was now 3-3, but Liverpool still needed another goal to progress.
Stunned, Hiddink made a change, swapping Salomon Kalou for Nicolas Anelka. It had little effect. Liverpool almost had a third on the stroke of half-time when Alonso picked out Kuyt at the back post and the Dutchman directed a header back across goal. It was almost reminiscent of Gerrard's goal in Istanbul, the difference being that Cech did what Dida couldn't and tipped clear.
This aside, the Czech was enduring a terrible night, illustrated again straight after the restart when he came to collect a Benayoun throughball only to be beaten to it by Lucas. The Brazilian cut back to Aurelio, who lobbed the ball towards the far post only to see it cleared.
Down at the other end, Reina had been given little to do, but he was about to feel his opposite number's pain on 51 minutes when Anelka drilled a low cross towards the near post. Drogba got the faintest of touches to deceive Reina, and in a bid to recover the Spanish goalkeeper palmed into his own net.
If that changed little about the task facing Liverpool, what happened six minutes later did. For the umpteenth time, the Spanish referee blew for a nothing challenge, this time by Jamie Carragher on Drogba. Alex stepped up from 35 yards and gave Reina no chance with a thunderous strike. The Reds now needed two goals to progress.
They nearly got one of those on 63 minutes when Cech could only parry a low volley from Javier Mascherano. Benayoun pounced but the angle was too acute.
Liverpool began to regain control, though Chelsea nearly had them on the counter when Drogba broke down the right, out-muscling Carragher before crossing to Michael Ballack. The German had the goal at his mercy but his low shot was tame and Reina saved.
Next, Torres almost stunned the Shed End with a blistering turn and shot from 35 yards. Just wide.
Then came a hammerblow for Liverpool, and again it was a lightning break from Chelsea that opened up the Red defence. This time it was Drogba down the left who provided the ammunition for Lampard to tap home. It was over, wasn't it? Maybe.
Lucas was having a fine game in an advanced midfield position, and it was his speculative effort from 20 yards on 81 minutes which deflected off Michael Essien and beyond Cech. This made it 3-3 on the night and 6-4 to Chelsea on aggregate.
But only for two minutes, as substitute Albert Riera sent a pinpoint cross into the six-yard box for Kuyt to head ferociously past Cech.
Liverpool went into the dying moments with hope but it was Lampard who ensured Chelsea could breathe the hugest sigh of relief on 89 minutes with a fine sidefooted curler beyond Reina after good work from Anelka.
As disappointed as Rafa Benitez and his squad will be following a mammoth effort, their resurgence in the Premier League means there is still plenty of hope around Anfield that 2008-09 will end in glory. Teams Liverpool: Reina, Aurelio, Carragher (captain), Skrtel, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Alonso, Mascherano, Leiva, Torres, Kuyt. Subs - Hyypia, Riera, Ngog, Dossena, Cavalieri, Agger, Babel
Chelsea: Cech, Cole, Carvalho, , Ivanovic, Ballack, Lampard (captain), Essien, Malouda, Drogba, Kalou. Subs - Hilario, , Belletti, Di Santo, Anelka, Mancienne, Obi Mikel
Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo
Conditions: Mild
Attendance: 38,286
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Xabi Alonso
Breakdown 18:44 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool get the game underway at Stamford Bridge
2 mins : Early defending from Arbeloa who heads out for a throw
2 mins : Mistake from Alex almost gifts a chance to Lucas but the defender recovers
3 mins : Kalou drives a cross into the area but Reina is well positioned to gather comfortably
5 mins : Mascherano looks to break but Benayoun slips and can't collect the pass
6 mins : Drogna goes down under a challenge from Carragher and needs treatment
8 mins : Drogba is back on the pitch and this time concedes a free kick to Liverpool
10 mins : Torres wins possession for the Reds on the right and earns a throw off Carvalho
11 mins : Arbeloa is caught by Malouda and we have a free kick in a good position - can we get a good ball in?
12 mins : Aurelio bends a decent ball into the box but Cech is commanding and clears
13 mins : Golden chance for Torres but he slices the ball wide from Benayoun's pass
14 mins : Lampard drives a free kick goalwards but Reina has it well covered
15 mins : Cole has space on the left but his deep cross is overhit and the ball goes out of play
16 mins : Kalou gives away a free kick for a foul on Aurelio. Another free kick in a good area....
17 mins : But this time the free kick is poor and Chelsea clear comfortably
19 mins : GOAL! Fabio Aurelio: Stunning free kick from Aurelio as he bends the ball home from distance to open the scoring
24 mins : Mascherano brings down Essien and gives away a free kick
25 mins : Malouda's delivery is defended by Carragher and we're able to break
26 mins : Good defending by Inavonic to deny Benayoun after another good Liverpool attack
28 mins : Penalty Scored! Xabi Alonso: Ivanovic brings down Alonso and the Spaniard converts from the spot
28 mins : First Booking: Branislav Ivanovic:
32 mins : A corner for Liverpool now in an incredible first period for the Reds
35 mins : Substitution: Nicolas Anelka for Salomon Kalou:
37 mins : Chelsea have a couple of quick corners and are coming back into the game - but what a start we have made
40 mins : First Booking: Yossi Benayoun:
43 mins : Mascherano's cross is headed behind for a corner to Liverpool
45 mins : Kuyt's header forces a decent stop from Cech
19:31 GMT : Half Time Reached
19:46 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : We're back underway at the Bridge - as things stand we need one goal to go through
47 mins : Cech rushes off his line and into no-mans land, but we can't take advantage
47 mins : Benayoun's long throw into the Chelsea area is well defended
50 mins : GOAL! Didier Drogba: Sloppy goal to concede as Reina loses Drogba's shot and the ball goes into the net
56 mins : Stunning free kick from Drogba beats Reina but flies just inches wide
57 mins : GOAL! Alex : Powerful free kick from Alex levels the scores on the night for the home side
60 mins : Mascherano's shot is saved by Cech and Benayoun can't follow up
61 mins : First Booking: Ashley Cole:
65 mins : Alonso whips the ball into the danger zone but it's too strong for any of his teammates
67 mins : Drogba speeds away and squares to Ballack who fires straight at Reina when he had the chance to completely finish the tie
70 mins : Liverpool looking ready to make a change
70 mins : Substitution: Albert Riera for Javier Mascherano:
71 mins : Shot from Torres from outside the area but it flashes wide of the target
73 mins : Brilliant defending from Skrtel as Malouda charges through and looks for a shot at goal
78 mins : First Booking: Alvaro Arbeloa:
76 mins : GOAL! Frank Lampard: Drogba squares for Lampard to surely kill off our European hopes for this season
80 mins : Ballack smashes another free kick wide of the target
81 mins : Substitution: David Ngog for Fernando Torres:
80 mins : GOAL! Lucas Leiva: Long range shot from Lucas which finds its way home
83 mins : GOAL! Dirk Kuyt: Kuyt heads home Riera's cross - it's on again
84 mins : Substitution: Ryan Babel for Alvaro Arbeloa:
89 mins : GOAL! Frank Lampard: Lampard scores off the far post to surely end it this time
90 mins : Substitution: Franco Di Santo for Didier Drogba:
20:34 GMT : Match Over |
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