0-0

So it will now be winner takes all in next week's second leg for a place in the final. Last night's game finished with 0-0 (for those who don't know already). Chelsea have to play at Anfield now and the winner of that game will go through. If it stays at 0-0 at the end of 90 minutes at Anfield, there will be extra times and penalties. If it's a scoring draw, Chelsea go through.

It was a game where both sides fared equally. At times, the home side threatened to take control but they were always pushed back and the fact if that a bit of luck could have won the game for either side.

The better chances - Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard - fell to and were squandered by Chelsea.

The better efforts - John Arne Riise, Milan Baros - came from Liverpool and were saved by the best goalkeeper in England, if not Europe.

Regardless of the post-match spin, of the two managers Rafael Benitez will surely be the happier, even if he regrets now his decision to replace Igor Biscan and not Xabi Alonso as he looked to disrupt Chelsea's rhythm in the closing minutes.

The yellow card that rules the Spain midfielder out of the second leg makes his pointless booking against Juventus look especially stupid and it is important, in my view, that stupidity is properly punished. (Likewise Liverpool twice being caught offside taking short corners, because Chelsea had no one on the line.)

The last word should be on Carragher. The Scouse rock, once an easy target and overlooked at Euro 2004 when a horrified nation thought of him up against Thierry Henry in England's opening game, was, bar Drogba's beating of him for that early chance, immaculate. Playing on a booking, he never looked like missing the second leg and was surely man of the match.

On the other hand, Stevie G was a shadow of himself. He was nowhere to be seen in most of the game, lost the ball when while trying his trademark 50 yard passes, was jogging through most of the game when the likes of Carra and Biscan were busting their arses.

'Welcome Home Gerrard' says a poster from a chelski cunt.

"It is set up nicely now for Anfield on Tuesday night and I am sure the roof is going to come off with the noise our fans will make. Chelsea will not know what has hit them. They will be taken aback a bit by the noise, we know our fans are special and on a European night even more so. Everyone will be looking forward to it, hopefully it will be our day." - Stevie G - Liverpool Captain

Player ratings from THE SUN

News from Anfield
28/04/05 : Gerrard: Chelsea won’t know what’s hit them
28/04/05 : Alonso: I hoped ref would change his mind
28/04/05 : Reds give themselves a great chance
28/04/05 : Finnan: We will reach final for Xabi
28/04/05 : Reds’ skipper in pre-match dental op
28/04/05 : Cisse: Fans can help us beat Chelsea