Wednesday 2 May 2007

Champions League Review: Liverpool 1 - 0 Chelsea (Liverpool win 4-1 on pens)


Liverpool booked their place in their second Champions League final in three years, after taking the tie into extra-time, and winning 4-1 on penalties, Dirk Kuyt with the winning kick.

The game itself was a rather boring affair, with neither side seemingly willing to throw caution to the wind and go for it. Agger's first-half strike from a cleverly worked free-kick set up a tense, but ultimately weary 90 mins, as both teams failed to make any clear cut chances, leaving it 1-1 before extra-time.

Chelsea were intent on hoofing long balls up to Drogba, which proved fruitless all night. Mourinho's side made nothing of the majority of their possession, and it was Liverpool, through the counter attacks, who had the majority of real chances, with Kuyt hitting the bar with a header, and controversially having a goal ruled out in extra-time after a marginal offside decision.

These games where the results often ends with a draw or a win by the odd goal seem synonymous of matches between these two sides, like a game of chess that just goes on far too long. Penalties was the only way of deciding such a fixture over the two legs, and it was the two Chelsea substitutes, Robben and Geremi, presumabely brought on for their penalty taking ability, that fluffed them.

That's not to take anything away from Reina, who again proved that he may be the number one spot-kick stopper in the world, and his Liverpool teammates, who all cooley slotted away their respective penalties. The team that as Mourinho puts it ' is only playing for the Champions League' is still playing, leaving Mourinho's Chelsea side licking their wounds, after seemingly blowing the title race and their European aspiration all in one week.

Lets hope tonight's game in Milan, is a much more exciting game.

Watch Match Highlights:


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