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TUESDAY 3 |
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Benitez lays claim to Mourinho title
Jose Mourinho labelled himself "the special one", but with
this victory Rafael Benitez has proved he can be considered
the equal of any manager in European football.
Even the most hardened Liverpool supporter would not have
dreamt this possible at the start of this season - the
club's first European Cup final in 20 years.
In steering them there Benitez has elevated his own
reputation into the stratosphere.
Having led Valencia to two La Liga titles in three years and
a Uefa Cup victory - he has taken a Liverpool side few
expected to get past Juventus or Chelsea to Europe's biggest
club stage.
The unassuming and softly-spoken Spaniard is almost the
complete opposite of Chelsea's Mourinho, who has stolen the
headlines all season with his arrogant predictions.
But by outwitting his rival Benitez has shown his quiet
effectiveness and placed Steven Gerrard on the horns of a
dilemma.
(BBC Sport Online)
Liverpool defy odds for Euro return
Against all the odds and in spite of most popular opinion
Liverpool are there.
They will contest their first European Cup final for 20
years later this month in Istanbul after a rearguard action
of epic proportions against Premiership champions Chelsea.
True, their 1-0 victory came courtesy of a controversial
goal from Luis Garcia.
They needed a dollop of luck. They needed a jaded display
from Chelsea and it was not always pretty.
But they also gave a performance of collective will and
determination which will go down as one of the greatest in
Liverpool's rich history.
(PA)
Rafa defends Garcia winner
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez defended Luis Garcia's
controversial winner as his side beat Chelsea 1-0 to reach
the UEFA Champions League final.
The Spanish star poked in after Petr Cech felled Milan Baros
and even though William Gallas hooked away the ball was
deemed to have crossed the line.
Whilst Benitez denied that he had seen the incident again,
he reinforced his belief that, irrespective of whether the
ball crossed the line, Cech's challenge merited a penalty
and a sending off for the Blues custodian.
"I have not seen, I have seen that it was a penalty and a
red card but it was the goal," said Benitez.
(Sky Sports)
Mourinho rues Blues exit
Jose Mourinho hopes Liverpool go on to win the Champions
League final but feels his Chelsea side should be there
instead.
"The best team lost and we are very sad we did but at the
same time, we must understand what football is," he told
ITV1.
(TEAMtalk)
Benitez praises the fans
Rafa has praised the Anfield faithful for their contributuon
to Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final victory over
Chelsea.
"We worked hard and had our supporters behind us and
believed until the end," he said after the game. "We've had
a good game and the same in the first leg and we've done a
good job.
"When you have your supporters behind you, you run a little
bit more. We need to enjoy today and if we play Milan we
will try."
(LFC Online)
Gerrard delighted with victory
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is delighted to be on his
way to Istanbul after beating Chelsea in the semi-final of
the Champions League.
"We're going to the final and that's the important thing,"
he said. "Whether it's a goal or not I'm sure people will
comment on that but we're just happy we're going to
Istanbul.
"It's hard to find words to describe it. Credit to Chelsea -
they played really well and put us under pressure but we
defended well and we were due a bit of luck and we beat the
champions today."
(LFC Online)
Carra overjoyed
Jamie Carrager was emotional after Liverpool's victory over
Chelsea.
"The club's been build on them type of nights and it's been
taken away from us in the last few years," he said. "But
we're desperate to get back to those heights so we've got a
chance to produce our own bit of history.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's great scenes there
at the end with the supporters but at the end of the day
it's only a semi-final and the cup's there to be won and
this is not finished."
(LFC Online)
Benitez wins tactical war
No wonder they sing his name to the tune of ‘La Bamba’, no
wonder Spanish flags vie with red and white banners for
space on the Kop, for Rafael Benitez has proved himself a
tactical mastermind in European football once more.
Jose Mourinho may have thought that title was his for keeps
but he will have to settle for domestic kudos this season
because at Anfield tonight he was outwitted and outsmarted.
This was a thrilling battle of wits and nerve and an
intriguing contest of tactical nous, but by no means a
classic in terms of attacking football.
And it may have been an all-English semi-final but it had a
Portuguese-Spanish sub-plot – forget the Battle of Britain,
this was the War of the Peninsular, and it was trench
warfare to boot.
(BreakingNews.ie)
Liverpool 5/4 for Champions
League
Liverpool , who were 80/1 outsiders at the start of the
season, are now 5/4 second favourites to win the Champions
League with William Hill who make AC Milan 4/7 favourites
and PSV 20/1.
Hills make Chelsea 6/1 to win it next season.
(William Hill)
Liverpool v Chelsea - confirmed teams
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Hamann,
Garcia, Gerrard, Riise, Biscan, Baros.
SUBS: Carson, Kewell, Smicer, Nunez, Warnock, Welsh, Cisse.
CHELSEA: Cech, Gallas, Carvalho, Terry, Geremi, Makelele,
Lampard, Cole, Tiago, Drogba, Gudjohnsen.
SUBS: Cudicini, Johnson, Kezman, Robben, Forssell, Huth,
Morais.
(Kop Talk)
Reds Reina talks confirmed
Jose Reina's agent has confirmed to skysports.com that
Liverpool are in talks with Villarreal over the goalkeeper.
Reports emanating from Spain have suggested that Liverpool
are close to agreeing a deal for the former Barcelona
custodian.
Reina's representative Manuel Garcia Quilon admitted talks
between both clubs have taken place and that his future
depends on Villarreal.
"The negotiations are open between the both clubs because
all depends on Villarreal," Quilon told skysports.com.
"We have spoken and that path is looking clear."
Villarreal director Jose Manuel Llaneza confirmed Liverpool
had registered an interest in Reina, but insists a deal is
far from being completed.
"The deal is not done," Llaneza told skysports.com.
"It is certain that there is interest from Liverpool, but no
decision will be taken until the end of the season."
(Sky Sports)
Rafa: No time for friendship
Milan Baros has revealed that Rafa Benitez has urged
Liverpool to fight fire with fire against Chelsea in the
UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Benitez was unhappy with some of the tackles made by Blues
players at Stamford Bridge and made his troops sit through a
video of the experience to remind them to battle for
possession at Anfield.
"He [Benitez] showed us a video casette with fouls from the
first leg and said: 'Guys, these are not your friends, take
a look'," Baros told Idnes.
"Play the same way as they do against you!"
Baros says he is fit enough to take his place in the
Liverpool attack and expects to play.
(Planet Football/Sky Sports)
Xabi's warning
Xabi Alonso has warned his team-mates to take care tonight
as five of them walk a suspension tightrope.
Jamie Carragher, Steve Finnan, Didi Hamann, Igor Biscan and
Steve Warnock are all on a yellow card and a booking tonight
would rule them out of the final should the Reds progress.
Xabi Alonso misses out tonight after picking up his second
yellow card of the campaign in the first leg so he is aware
of the risk the five must take.
He said: "It is important they take care. It will be a
disaster if one of my team-mates is forced to miss the
final.
"They must block it out of their mind and not think about
it. They must try and play their natural game.
"They must take some risks because if they are too cautious
it will be difficult for the team to win, but they must also
be careful at the same time."
(LFC Online)
Finnan fired up
Steve Finnan says the Reds are determined to make the most
at their shot at glory tonight.
With the score at 0-0 from the first leg Liverpool are a
home victory away from a place in the Champions League
final. Chances like this do not come around every season so
Finnan is determined to make the most of this one.
"The boss has told us that a lot of us may never get another
chance to go through to a Champions League final so you can
be sure we will be giving everything we have to get there,"
says Finnan.
"It is the biggest game of our careers, they just get bigger
and bigger. We are not the favourites to go through, but we
always knew that was the case. We have to concentrate and
play to our very best.
"I am sure the fans will be right behind us, they always
are, and if we start like we have done in previous home
European matches then we can take a grip on the game."
(LFC Online)
Nando admits Prem struggle
Fernando Morientes has admitted that he has struggled to
adapt to the physical nature of The Premiership, but
insisted that the club will see the best of him next season.
The Spanish international marksman moved to Anfield during
the January transfer window in a £6.3 million move from Real
Madrid.
"It was the ideal moment to leave, although, to be honest, I
didn't want it to be during a season because of the family,"
Morientes told Sky Sports' Revista de La Liga.
"It was Liverpool or nothing for me."
The style of football in England has come as a big shock to
the Spaniard and he admits he has struggled to adapt, with
just three Liverpool goals so far.
"It's not been good so far, I cannot lie," added Morientes.
"This is totally different football and there are some
strange differences.
"Like many Spanish players will tell you, the refereeing is
so different. Defenders are much harder here and the play is
more physical than technical.
"I was a bit shocked at first but moving in the middle of
the season has helped and next year I will know the same as
all the others."
(Sky Sports)
Grobbelaar: Kop will roar the Reds on
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar is backing the
passion of the Kop to roar the Reds past Chelsea and into
this season's Champions League Final.
A European Cup winner in 1984, Grobbelaar knows all about
the electric atmosphere the Anfield crowd can generate on a
big occasion and he believes they could provide the decisive
factor in tonight's semi-final second leg.
"I think the Kop will be the difference," says Brucie. "At
Stamford Bridge it was very quiet but it's not going to be
quiet tonight that's for sure.
"They have done their homework in the first leg and got the
job done, now they have just got to hope they get that one
vital goal. They are one game away from the biggest stage in
Europe.
"They are going to have to go all out attack. They have got
nothing to lose, but they have got to be very tight at the
back, not allow (Frank) Lampard, (Joe) Cole or (Didier)
Drogba to get into good positions. They have got to pick up
the second ball from Drogba and make sure they shut down the
midfield."
(LFC Official Website)
Stubbs 'sympathy' for Liverpool
Everton skipper Alan Stubbs admits he would sympathise with
Liverpool if they go on to win the Champions League but miss
out on the chance to defend the trophy.
However he insists Everton must be allowed into next
season's competition if they finish fourth in the Barclays
Premiership.
He told the Independent: "I feel that it's great for the
city that one of its teams is doing so well in the Champions
League, but if we finish fourth then we deserve to be in it
next year."
He added: "If Liverpool do win it and don't get back in, I
would have sympathy for them, but for us to qualify for the
Champions League would be as big an achievement as what that
Everton team achieved 20 years ago."
(The Daily Mail)
Liverpool agree £8million transfer fee
Reports in Spain claim that Liverpool have agreed an
£8million fee with Villarreal for their goalkeeper Jose
Reina.
Reina's agent Garcia Quilom, who also represents Rafael
Benitez and Luis Garcia, has privately indicated that a deal
has been struck although he hasn't officially gone on record
as saying this.
It is rumoured that Reina will sign a 3-year contract with
an option of a further 12 months.
(Kop Talk)
Owen tips Reds tonight
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen believes Rafael
Benitez's side can overcome Chelsea at Anfield tonight and
qualify for the Champions League final in Istanbul.
"They can do it, they've already beaten top teams this
year," he said. "Chelsea were probably favourites going into
the first leg but now it's a one off game at Anfield.
"Chelsea can't count on reaching the final. That result at
Stamford Bridge levelled it out.
"Not scoring at Chelsea was probably disappointing for
Liverpool but I think if you told them they weren't going to
concede a goal they would have taken it.
"I'm sure there's going to be a fantastic atmosphere at
Anfield. When the crowd are right behind you, it's a
fantastic place to be."
(LFC Online)
Rafa: Mourinho will lose
Rafael Benitez has heaped praise on Chelsea boss
Jose Mourinho ahead of tonight's Champions League clash at
Anfield, but the Liverpool manager insists his counterpart
will lose.
"Mourinho is one of the best coaches in the world, but he
will lose tonight.
"I am sure we'll win. I know we can beat them even though
they are such a good team," said Benitez. "If you approach a
game without confidence then you will lose. In this case we
have nothing to lose.
"Chelsea are the most expensive side in the world, with a
good manager and good players. They have just won the
championship and deserve a lot of credit.
"But we have nothing to lose. If we win, we are heroes. If
we lose then people will say it is to be expected as it is
Chelsea."
(LFC Online) |
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MONDAY 2 |
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Murphy tips Reds for Euro glory
Danny Murphy is backing his old Liverpool team-mates to make
it through to the Champions League final with victory over
Chelsea on Tuesday night.
The 28-year-old midfielder joined Charlton in the summer
after seven seasons at Anfield, where he enjoyed both
domestic and European honours in the treble-winning 2000/01
campaign.
And the former England international believes the Reds have
got what it takes to see off the challenge of the
newly-crowned Barclays Premiership champions in front of
their own fans.
Liverpool earned a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge last
week to leave the tie in the balance, and Murphy said: "The
lads have done fantastically well and it was a great result
at Chelsea.
"Nobody expected them to get anything, but defensively they
looked so solid.
"Even though their league form has been inconsistent, I
really fancy them to turn Chelsea over at Anfield - I know
what the fans are like on a big European night."
Murphy added in Valley Review: "I am still in regular
contact with a lot of the lads and if they can get through
to the final, then anything can happen."
(Sporting Life)
Hamann to replace Alonso
Dietmar Hamann should replace the suspended Xabi Alonso for
Liverpool's Champions League semi-final second leg against
Chelsea at Anfield.
German midfielder Hamann came through his comeback unscathed
against Middlesbrough following a knee injury, though, and
is expected to face the new Premiership champions on Tuesday
night.
Hamann played only the final 10 minutes of the 1-1 draw
against Boro - his first action after missing eight matches.
Harry Kewell completed the full 90 minutes of a match for
the first time since mid-December following groin problems
and is also set to play.
Reds (from): Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Luis
Garcia, Gerrard, Hamann, Riise, Kewell, Baros, Cisse,
Smicer, Nunez, Carson, Le Tallec, Warnock, Welsh, Potter.
(TEAMtalk)
Liverpool and Chelsea face defining moment
at Anfield
Liverpool have home advantage, but Chelsea have the English
league title in their cabinet and an unshakeable belief in
their own destiny heading into the second leg of the
all-English Champions League semi-final at Anfield on
Tuesday.
A goalless draw in last Wednesday's first leg at Stamford
Bridge would, in normal circumstances, have left Liverpool
feeling very positive about their chances of reaching the
final against either AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven in Istanbul
on May 25.
(Reuters)
Robben to be passed fit
Chelsea will have Arjen Robben available to them when they
face Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final second leg
at Anfield tomorrow.
Robben made subsitute appearances against Liverpool in the
first leg and against Bolton at the weekend and the the
player is expected to return to the first team tomorrow.
Robben said: "For my body, it's best to rest. I played on
Wednesday but I was not 100 per cent. I came on and after 10
minutes my ankle was quite bad.
"It was difficult to carry on but I couldn't do anything
dangerous, dribbling or anything special and I know I'm not
100 per cent.
"But you know that you have to play now. Liverpool is such
an important game. I will try, of course. I know it's a
risk, but we have to see if we are ready for Anfield."
(LFC Online)
Fatty says Chelsea will win
Tubby Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says his team will
beat Liverpool tomorrow.
Lampard says he and his team-mates are on such a high from
winning the league on saturday they will overcome the Reds
at Anfield tomorrow night.
Lampard said: "We go to Anfield as champions and we believe
in ourselves and know we can win at Anfield.
"The manager and some of the players have won things abroad
but people like myself, John Terry and Eidur Gudjohnsen are
not going to be happy with a second-rate performance at
Anfield. We know that being champions here is the most
important thing because you are the most consistent in the
league.
"Now we're in the semi-finals of the Champions League that's
the most important thing for us and we want to do well."
(LFC Online) |
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SUNDAY 1 |
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Goalkeeper wants Liverpool
AC Milan goalkeeper Dida has admitted that he would prefer
to meet Liverpool in the final of the European Champions
League rather than Chelsea.
Milan have a 2-0 advantage from their first leg win over PSV
and look set to reach the final unless of course PSV can
pull off some kind of fightback.
"It's really hard to say which team I'd rather face," said
Dida. "But I suppose I'd prefer to avoid Chelsea. They are
really strong at the moment and it is always difficult to
play a team that is so ful of confidence.
"This doesn't mean I think that Liverpool are an easy option
- no way. They would also be very hard to beat. So like I
said, I prefer to wait and see. Engligh teams are all
very tough."
(Kop Talk)
Real Madrid legend: Liverpool will be,
fighting for everything
Real Madrid legend and current Bolton Wanderers player
Fernando Hierro has reiterated his belief that Rafa Benitez
is the man to bring back the glory days to Anfield.
During his 14 years at Madrid, Benítez was one of the
coaches under Vicente del Bosque and Hierro knows his fellow
Spaniard well.
"Once Rafa makes his connection absolute with the players
and once they get to know Rafa totally, the way he works,
and that connection has been made, then you will see
Liverpool fighting for everything," Hierro said.
"That will be a team fighting for every trophy because
that's how good Rafa is."
"Rafa has got such a mental aptitude, and desire, he thinks
about football 30 hours a day. Football, football,
football."
(tallklfc.com)
Cisse confident of joining the greats
Djibril Cisse is confident this Liverpool team can join the
pantheon of greats by winning the European Cup next month.
Cisse, who returned from a broken leg to play in the Reds'
quarter-final second leg against Juventus says Rafael
Benitez' team can overcome Chelsea on Tuesday and win the
Champions League for a fifth time on the 28th anniversary of
the club's 1st European Cup success.
Cisse said: "I think every player is aware of the great
history of the club and when I came here it was because
Liverpool are considered to be one of Europe's big clubs.
"But our past will not win us the Champions League. If we
win it will be because we have the basis of a great team
here."
(LFC Online)
Gerrard eyes career-defining final
Steven Gerrard has warned Chelsea that Liverpool are
determined to ruin the Blues' championship celebrations and
set up "the biggest night" of his life.
The Liverpool star believes captaining the club in the
Champions League final next month would be the pinnacle of
his career.
Gerrard said: "This second leg is without doubt the biggest
game of my life and I am sure it's the same for every other
player here."
(Sporting Life)
Uefa leaves Liverpool 'door open'
Uefa president Lennart Johansson has said five English teams
could compete in next season's Champions League.
Johansson told Five Live's Sportsweek programme Liverpool
could enter if they win the tournament but finish outside
the top four in the Premiership.
"If there is a possibility to make an exception for the
winner of the Champions League then there could be an
additional place," said Johansson.
"The door is always open. We are there to serve football,
not just dictate."
(BBC Sport Online)
Robben fighting for fitness
Arjen Robben has played down talk of a rift with Jose
Mourinho and claims he is working hard in order to be fit
for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Liverpool.
The flying Dutchman was absent from Chelsea's title win at
Bolton on Saturday, with reports suggesting he had clashed
with coach Mourinho over his fitness.
Robben, though, says there has been no unrest and is working
hard to return to fitness for Tuesday's second leg at
Anfield.
(Planet Football/Sky Sports)
Liverpool faces replica relegation
Fears are growing that Liverpool Football Club's
failure to secure a sponsor to replace its long standing
deal with Carlsberg will mean it will not be able to produce
replica kits in time for start of next season.
The club's 12-year deal with the brewer is understood to be
on the verge of collapse and the Champions' League
semi-finalist has so far failed to secure a replacement.
Clubs need to sign deals by the end of March so that they
can produce shirts in time to be on sale to fans for the
following season. An insider at a rival Premiership club
said the deadline could be stretched to the end of April,
but any later was a concern.
"They can't push it much longer. It's going to be difficult
to get it out for the start of the season at this stage. It
really is cutting it fine."
There are also concerns that Liverpool may have to
compensate kit supplier Reebok. "If the team is wearing
something that isn't available in the shops, it's a massive
negative for Reebok," said one sponsorship expert. "It could
result in some sort of payment to Reebok and that would be a
pill Liverpool would have to swallow."
Liverpool is expected to eventually sign Korean electronics
group LG. The Carlsberg deal was worth around £6m a year,
but sources claim the club is discussing between £2.5m and
£4m a year.
(The Independent)
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Thor Zakariassen
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