Chelsea v Liverpool Champions League Preview: It’s Almost Over

By: chris | April 30th, 2008

Chelsea 1 – Liverpool 1

If you don’t know how the score got that way you must’ve been in a coma for the last ten days. Either that or you’re a part of the Riise family and still in denial.

The first leg wasn’t historically terrible, but it certainly wasn’t one most (sane) people would choose to have a second go at on TiVo or anything of the like. It was your typical EPL matchup, and we got what we expected from both sides. Any Chelsea player who got the ball on their foot homed in on Drogbacite with the long ball and Liverpool was a bit more fancy, but far from Barca technical. And their goal was fugly. Probably the very definition of fugly, actually. But goals are goals – take ‘em without complaints (unless you’re Real Madrid and employing Fabio Capello).

The story going out was undoubtedly John Arne Riise’s world class finish into his own net in the 95th minute. Having an effect neutrals could simulate by asking a friend to take a baseball bat and swing it hard into your gut. Made worse by the fact that Liverpool deserved their 1-0 victory, and Riise was only brought on as a sub when Fabio Aurelio tweaked his groin. Cruel irony in that the guy brought due to Aurelio’s injury – one which took quite a few minutes – went on to score the own goal decider in the 5th minute of injury time. The fates must be conspiring. Or maybe Roman Abramovich bought Aurelio’s groin injury.

The good news is that Liverpool can’t go to Stamford Bridge with the aim of playing for a nil-nil draw anymore, a gift to the neutral viewers for all kinds of obvious reasons. So at some point they’re going to have to get forward and pepper Petr Cech with some fantastic shots in order to go 3 for 3 against Chelski. Good news for us.

And say all you want about Avram Grant, but he’s a clean sheet at Stamford bridge away from doing what Jose couldn’t do and taking the club to Moscow. Also Roman’s backyard, something which I’m sure would make it all the sweeter for the tycoon. (And something which could force Avram to the guillotine should he make it there and fail to take home the silverware). And if Chelsea goes through, let’s just hope they do the honorable thing and vote Riise a cut of the prize money along with a Russian postcard.

We’ll have the game covered (though admittedly only in text format) in our Chelsea vs Liverpool LiveBlog