Awesome Reds Are Going To Athens

shortfuse0_1 · #1 (**permalink**) 1st May 2007, 11:17 PM

Liverpool are through to the Champions League Final in Athens after they produced an awesome performance to overturn Chelsea's first leg lead and win Tuesday's Semi Final on penalties on a glorious night at Anfield.

The Reds sealed their place in the final against either Manchester United or AC Milan after Daniel Agger's first half leveller had taken them into extra time and then penalties. And they beat Chelsea 4-1 on penalties with Pepe Reina the hero saving three of Chelsea's spot kicks.

It was a cruel way to go out for Chelsea, but on the balance of chances Liverpool deserved their win because they were the ones who had come closest and controlled most of an epic 120 minutes.

It wasn't just on the pitch that this battle was won. The Anfield atmosphere was simply breathtaking. You could search far and wide and still not find a support to match it. No one does scarves and flags like Liverpool and, combined with the noise; it presented a wall of power that drove the players on to a fantastic prize.

And it will be Liverpool's second European Cup Final in just three years, a throw back to the late 70s and early 80s, when the Reds dominated Europe just as they are doing now.

With what was at stake it was no surprise to see this game start slowly. Jose Mourinho had said his side would come here to attack, but they dropped inside their own half every time Liverpool had the ball and the Reds were finding space hard to find.

Rafa had stated his intention by starting with Steven Gerrard at the centre of the midfield and with two strikers in Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch. And it was Liverpool who did all of the early pressing, without really threatening to test Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal.

That was until the 22nd minute, when Daniel Agger scored and sent an already noisy Anfield into an absolute frenzy. It came from a free kick on the left of the Chelsea penalty area. Steven Gerrard fooled everyone when he rolled the ball back to Agger 12 yards from goal and he finished superbly side footed.

We needed a great save by Reina from danger man Drogba just minutes later and Chelsea got on the front foot for the first time as half time approached, but Agger's goal had levelled the tie and it was game on when the sides went in for the break.

The game was on a knife edge. A goal for Liverpool would put them in pole position, but a goal for Chelsea would leave the Reds needing two. Steven Gerrard though wasn't about to stick, he wanted to force the issue and only the timely intervention of Ashley Cole deprived him of a run on goal with the second half just minutes old.

Chelsea responded with a shot wide from Cole, but Liverpool were soon back on the attack and it took a brilliant save from Cech to stop Crouch's far post header after Pennant's cross had picked him out.

Liverpool were looking the more likely and they came desperately close again in the 59th minute when this time Riise's cross found the head of Kuyt; and he rattled the Chelsea crossbar with Cech beaten.

The chances kept coming for Liverpool. Next it was a last ditch deflection that sent Pennant's fierce shot over the crossbar and into the Kop. The Reds were on top, but the question on everyone's lips was would the goal come; and would Chelsea come again.

Liverpool escaped when Carragher deflected the ball just inches over his own crossbar with Drogba closing in, but as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes it became obvious that we would have extra time.

It was again Liverpool who had the better chances in extra time. It took a great block to stop Riise's goalbound effort and all of Anfield thought they'd scored the winner when Kuyt slammed the ball home after Cech could only parry Alonso's shot, but they were cruelly denied by what looked a wrong offside decision. And in the dieing minutes, it took another fine Cech save to deny Kuyt a certain winner.

So it was penalties and it was just like Istanbul with Liverpool's goalkeeper and penalty takers again proving they had the greater strength of mind. Zenden scored, Reina saved from Robben , Alonso scored, Lampard scored, Gerrard scored, Reina saved from Geremi and then Kuyt scored. What a night!

Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Riise, Agger (captain), Carragher, Finnan, Zenden, Gerrard MBE, Mascherano, Pennant, Crouch, Kuyt. Subs - Hyypia, Fowler, Padelli, Gonzalez, Arbeloa, Bellamy, Alonso

Chelsea: Cech, Cole, Terry (captain), Essien, Ferreira, Cole, Lampard, Makelele, Obi Mikel, Drogba, Kalou. Subs - Cudicini, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Diarra, Boulahrouz, Robben,

Referee: Mejuto Gonzalez

Conditions: Dry

Attendance: 42554

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Jamie Carragher

Breakdown
18:45 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Chelsea kick off attacking the Kop in the first half
1 min : Cole crosses from the right but Zenden clears. Deafening noise inside the stadium
4 mins : Essien's long free kick forward bounces over Drogba and Reina gathers
5 mins : Gerrard controls the ball on the edge of the box and blasts a first time shot well wide
7 mins : Gerrard bends a free kick to the far post where Crouch is on the stretch and can't connect with the ball
15 mins : Drogba crosses from the right but Finnan is there to clear the danger for Liverpool at the near post
19 mins : Mikel goes down under a challenge and requires treatment as play is halted by the Spanish referee
20 mins : Mikel is late on Zenden giving the Reds a free kick wide on the left in a good area
22 mins : GOAL! Daniel Agger: Agger sweeps home Gerrard's free kick to level the tie
28 mins : First Booking: Ashley Cole:
32 mins : Drogba has space in the area but Reina makes a fine stop from his powerful shot to prevent an away goal
33 mins : Crouch gets his head to Finnan's cross but can't keep his effort down
35 mins : Good defending by Riise in his own box to hold off the challenge of Mikel under pressure
40 mins : Lampard's corner into the Kop box is headed by Drogba towards Kalou who can't react in time to force Reina into a save
45 mins : One extra minute to be played
19:31 GMT : Half Time Reached
19:46 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool get the second period underway
47 mins : Drogba wants a corner as he smashes a low shot well wide but the ref gives a goal kick
53 mins : Cole goes on a run into the area but Reina is out quickly to gather at his feet
56 mins : Cech saves Crouch's header on the line and Chelsea clear before a Liverpool player can convert the rebound
59 mins : Kuyt strikes the woodwork with a header which has beaten Cech from Riise's cross. We're getting closer
61 mins : First Booking: Daniel Agger:
69 mins : Essien concedes a corner as the Kop turns up the volume once again
70 mins : Pennant collects a loose ball in the box and drives a shot which is deflected over. Great chance but we get a corner from it
75 mins : Cole escapes down the left and crosses for Drogba who somehow turns the ball over via a deflection from close range
78 mins : Substitution: Xabi Alonso for Jermaine Pennant:
83 mins : Lampard's free kick from 35 sails high over Reina's goal
86 mins : Zenden's shot forces Cech into a save at the second attempt
90 mins : Two added minutes to be played
20:34 GMT : 90mins over -> Extra Time Pending
20:38 GMT : Extra Time 1st Half Begins
91 mins : We're underway again at Anfield
93 mins : Gerrard blasts a hopeful volley well over from a tight angle
94 mins : Riise finds space but his left footed shot hits Terry and goes behind for a corner which comes to nothing
97 mins : Substitution: Arjen Robben for Joe Cole:
100 mins : Kuyt has the ball in the net but the celebrations are cut short by the linesman's flag
20:54 GMT : End of 1st half of extra time
20:57 GMT : Start of 2nd half of extra time
105 mins : Substitution: Craig Bellamy for Peter Crouch:
107 mins : Substitution: Shaun Wright-Phillips for Salomon Kalou:
109 mins : First Booking: Boudewijn Zenden:
117 mins : Substitution: Geremi for Claude Makelele:
117 mins : Substitution: Robbie Fowler for Javier Mascherano:
119 mins : Fowler lays the ball to Kuyt who sees his shot saved by Cech
21:13 GMT : End of extra time: Penalties pending
120 mins : Penalty Scored! Boudewijn Zenden:
120 mins : Penalty Scored! Xabi Alonso:
120 mins : Penalty Scored! Frank Lampard:
120 mins : Penalty Scored! Steven Gerrard MBE:
120 mins : Penalty Scored! Dirk Kuyt:
21:23 GMT : Match Over