Chelsea 1 Liverpool 0:It was a match to make grudges respectable. While Chelsea are out to avenge the loss to Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final two years ago, they were measured throughout a victory that makes them favourites to take their place in Athens on May 23rd. The Stamford Bridge side played cunningly on the break in a first half that might have settled the entire tie.
Liverpool survived that and maintained urgency, but they were less polished and the evening closed with Chelsea in command.
The visitors' goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, had to keep the deficit under control by reaching a Frank Lampard volley in the 81st minute. Joe Cole, the scorer, and Didier Drogba, the provider, were key presences along with Ricardo Carvalho, in ensuring a promising outcome for Chelsea.
Desperation may come at Anfield but this was mostly a temperate affair.
There is nothing exotic about a meeting of English clubs whose talent is bound to bring them together regularly in significant matches, but that was a favourable factor in this Champions League encounter. While the pace was brisk there was little rage from players who are well used to one another.
If Chelsea meant to take revenge for the defeat at this same stage in 2005 they were committed to doing it in a thoughtful fashion.
That made them all the more dangerous and those who dreaded that the goal allocation for both semi-finals had been exhausted in Manchester United's 3-2 victory over Milan were made to repent their cynicism. The advantage that Chelsea took in the 29th minute was overdue. While Liverpool frequently occupied territory in the opposition's half they were ill-at-ease when Jose Mourinho's men surged out in response.
Rafael Benitez had been compelled to do without Steve Finnan because of a recurrence of the right-back's neck injury but the minor reshuffle did not explain the vulnerability. Chelsea were transformed from the jaded bunch who had dragged themselves through a goalless draw at Newcastle on Sunday. Fatigue seems to decrease in inverse to the importance of the occasion and the home side were awash with eager sharpness.
The breakthrough, in the 29th minute, was a delight. It started when Carvalho came out of defence confidently and stroked a pass down the right that let Drogba sprint. The dynamism of that burst put Daniel Agger under stress and the Ivorian showed elusive deftness to turn the ball across the face of goal. Joe Cole, who had made a long and intelligent break of his own, claimed his reward for that exertion by eluding Javier Mascherano to shoot home the cross. Chelsea had enjoyed the luxury of counter-attacking and made the most of it as Liverpool were more earnest than incisive.
The last goal for the Anfield club on this ground had come as long ago as January 2004 when Bruno Cheyrou delivered a 1-0 victory and a successor was hard to come by prior to the interval. There was enterprise as Dirk Kuyt swept the ball in after 37 minutes but the delivery was a fraction too high for Steven Gerrard to connect properly with a header.
For a side with such a meticulous manager Liverpool were surprisingly sloppy at times. Misplaced passes, one from Mascherano and the other by John Arne Riise, twice released Drogba. The forward was outnumbered on the first occasion and, at the second, took too long to see Joe Cole and then misdirected the ball.
Drogba, nonetheless, was a terror. Lampard should have scored from his header in the ninth minute but did not connect cleanly enough, allowing Reina to save. After 17 minutes Drogba headed an Ashley Cole pass to Andriy Shevchenko, who ripped a low cross marginally in front of Joe Cole. Drogba himself should have scored from a Joe Cole delivery three minutes later but missed the ball as Reina lunged towards him. The inability to extend the lead had been Chelsea's sole flaw of the first half.
Despite the reputation for mercilessness Mourinho's men can struggle occasionally to crush the opposition and, for instance, needed extra-time to get the better of Blackburn Rovers in an FA Cup semi-final where they had been in total command for a spell. There was sufficient resemblance in this fixture to hearten Liverpool.
Benitez's team had far more vim following the interval and in the 53rd minute, moments after the replacement of Craig Bellamy by Peter Crouch, a throw-in that was only partly cleared by Mikel John Obi dropped to Gerrard and his excellent volley demanded the very best of Petr Cech, who tipped the effort round the post.
The zeal of Liverpool had made Chelsea appear like a visiting team taking every precaution at a daunting venue. Of course, that can suit a line-up that has successfully safguarded many a lead in its time. They had hoped to double their advantage with a penalty at the start of the second half but Alvaro Arbeloa's contact with a bouncing ball was accidental.
As the match reached its later stage the tempo increased because Liverpool's craving for an equaliser intensified. It was already obvious in any case that the return match at Anfield would be thunderous.
Guardian Service
CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Makelele, Joe Cole (Wright-Phillips 84), Mikel, Lampard, Shevchenko (Kalou 76), Drogba. Subs not used: Cudicini, Boulahrouz, Geremi, Bridge, Diarra.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso (Pennant 83), Mascherano, Zenden, Kuyt, Bellamy (Crouch 52). Subs not used: Dudek, Hyypia, Gonzalez, Sissoko, Paletta. Booked: Mascherano.
Referee: Markus Merk ( Germany).