Chelsea 3 Liverpool 2 AET (4-3)Agg
Posted on May 1, 2008
Filed Under Champions League
Wow what a football match this was.One minute it looked like Chelsea then the next Liverpool it was a match that was played in 4 halves of pure live soccer where both teams gave it there all.Both sides had made changes for the match Chelsea had Essien returning from a ban & Kalou for Malouda while Liverpool had Riise for Aurelia & Benayoun for Babel.It was the home side that started the better which saw Drogba take the first shot from 25 yards which skidded across the surface & made Reina save.Liverpool looked like they were letting Chelsea come on to them & when they could get the ball to Torres & let him do something special in nearly worked when Gerrard slipped a well timed pass which Torres got on the end of but Cech was there to save from 6 yards this was the best it got for Liverpool & Chelsea dominated the play & the football.Drogba who was my man of the match played a blinder & should have scored when he was put through by Lampard only to shot wide.Skrtel then had to go off with a knee injury which unsettled Liverpool a bit & Drogba then made up for his miss as Kalou was sent through by Lampard shot brought out a save from Reina which Drogba ran on to & smashed it past Reina into the bottom left hand corner.Watching it live it looked like Kalou was off side but on the Tv Replay you could see he was level.Just before half time it was nearly two for chelsea as Ballack sent a free kick just wide of the post which breathed a sigh of relief from Liverpool to be only one down at the break. Rafa Benitez
Liverpool had to do something in the second half as in the first they looked well out of it.It took Dirk Kuyt to get them going when he nearly scored from the start as his shot had to produce a smart save from Cech & it brought Liverpool to life Gerrard then started to get going in midfield where Makelele had marked him out of it .Chelsea started to sit back & looked all over the place & Liverpool saw there chance when Benayoun controlled the ball went round a couple of players & slipped the ball into Torres who made no mistake & tucked it past Cech for the equalizer.The game then went from one end to another with Chelsea finishing the stronger but it had extra time written all over it.Extra time started & it was full of jam packed action & controversy it started when Essien scored through a shot from 25 yards which flew into the net & the chelsea players celebrated but the linesman gave it off side because 4 Chelsea players stood offside but they didn’t touch the ball it was later revealed it was because Drogba was stood in front of Reina & interfering with play.But only 90 seconds later Sami Hyypia then went & brought down Ballack in the box & the ref pointed to the spot.Lampard stepped up & stroked the ball home & then went & kissed the captains arm band in memory of his mum who died last week & saluted to his dad who was in the directors box.Minutes later Chelsea scored again when it was good work by Anelka with his pace crossed the ball only for Drogba to smash the ball past Reina & sent Chelsea wild.Liverpool had a penalty shout in the start of second half extra time when he looked like he was clipped by Drogba the ref had his whistle in his mouth but the look on Hyypia’s face made the ref change his mind.Babel who had just come on then smashed a 25 yard shot towards the goal which Cech should have saved but only palmed it into the goal.This left 3 minutes left & it got frantic but Chelsea held on to win the match & be in there first ever champions league final.It was a good live football match for everyone to see & a good advert for English football. Avram Grant
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