ONE FOOT IN THE FINAL

Liverpool threw away a potential Champions League final appearance following a moment of madness from Jon Arne Riise in injury time at Anfield last night. A goal up despite wasting a succession of excellent second half chances, Liverpool still looked set for a deserved victory. Riise will have nightmares about his attempted clearance that flew past a startled Jose Reina to give Chelsea a decisive away goal going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge next week.

Chelsea played well below par and Liverpool were little better in a tension-filled match that rarely rose above the ordinary in standard. But the Londoners will be boosted by that late stroke of luck and should be strong enough defensively to progress to the final. Rafa Benitez will have to alter his usual tactics of defending deep and hitting Chelsea on the counter attack and simply must take the game to the Pensioners next Wednesday night to have any hope of making the final.

How the Red’s will be ruing those two Fernando Torres opportunities and that Gerrard rocket that Peter Cech superbly thwarted. If any of those chances had gone in it would have been curtains for Chelsea and most likely Avram Gant too. The Israeli manager has been handed a lifeline by the errant head of Riise and it would take a major catastrophe for Chelsea not to seize the initiative and make it to Moscow.

For all his shot-stopping talents Cech still remains susceptible to crosses and as a result Bentiez may well have to introduce Peter Crouch to the proceedings at some stage in the second leg if a goal isn’t forthcoming. Chelsea will qualify if they can keep it tight and if Carvalho reproduces his performance from last night – covering for the painfully slow Terry – then Roman Abramovich can look forward to a trip to his home town with some confidence.