Posted 28 September 2005 - 03:58 PM
Liverpool 0 - Chelsea 0
Not a bad game, though I have only a few positive things to say about it. The tempo was lightning quick, the passing was errant, and the tackles were hard. I can't remember a Champions League match in which the quality in the final third was so poor, but I blame that on the lack of service from the expected giants like Gerrard, Lampard, Alonso etc.
We all know that Drogba has the touch of a rhino, and Crouch is only really good at one thing, so for both teams the responsibility really falls on the midfielders for goals. Credit to Liverpool on set pieces, I haven't seen a team trouble Chelsea that much in the air for some time. Pongolle also looked good for the five seconds that he was on the pitch. But, I just don't get how Liverpool fans could sing 'Boring Chelsea' when they had just as few shots on target as we did (2), and they were clipping us all night with petty fouls to stop progress. Whatever. I'd also like to note that the team that gets second in the group will most likely play Inter in the next round while the winners will play any one of the mighty Porto, Rangers, or Bratislava. Andy Grey is wrong in saying that the tie at Stamford Bridge will most likely be a formality. No one wants to do what Utd did last year and walk into a tie against a top side just because they think they're safe. Winning the group is just as important as qualifying for the next stage if you want to go deep in the competition.