- Chelsea and Liverpool were the benchmark bearers when it came to rivalries that defined a generation.
- We look at the most memorable moments in history.
Chelsea and Liverpool were the benchmark bearers when it came to rivalries that defined a generation.
Both teams are eager to win this match, even if the rivalry hasn’t been as fierce as it once was. They will be giving it their all to win this evening.
We look at the most memorable moments in history.
Chelsea’s last laugh in the Champions League (2008)
Chelsea 2008 Champions League team. Photo/ UEFA
These two teams continued to play each other in the Champions League for four seasons in a row. They were inseparable, and Chelsea found it aggravating that they were unable to overcome the Liverpudlians.
In 2007, they faced up in the semifinal once more. The Londoners prevailed 1-0 in the first leg but were defeated on penalties in the second leg. They advanced to the semifinals for the fourth time in five years a year later, and it seemed certain that they would need to defeat Liverpool to earn a spot in the final game.
Even though Chelsea triumphed over their tenacious opponents 4-3 on aggregate, this match received less media coverage than some of their other encounters throughout the years.
But it should, since it was a back-and-forth game, Fernando Torres was being Fernando Torres, Michael Essien’s goal was disallowed, Drogba scored one of his trademark penalty box goals, Ryan Babel scored a golazo, and, just days after his mother passed away, Lampard scored the winning penalty.
Gerrard’s unforgettable slip (2014)
Gerrard slip. Photo/ talksport
Liverpool was set to finally take home the holy grail in 2014, after lasting nearly 25 years without winning a league title. And then there was a recurring enemy.
When Jose Mourinho arrived at Anfield in April, his only goal was to prevent the home team from continuing to play in the daring manner that had been so successful under Brendan Rodgers. Chelsea waited patiently for an opportunity to take advantage of the opposition’s error by sitting deep, playing on the counter, and wasting time. And they carried out just that.
After mishandling a straightforward pass, Steven Gerrard slipped and allowed Demba Ba to collect the ball and go one-on-one with Simon Mignolet. The striker scored the game’s first goal without assistance from the Belgian goalie.
Despite their best efforts, Liverpool was unable to turn around the match and ultimately lost 2-0, ending their apparently unbeatable title run. Mourinho showed out his joy after the win by slapping his jacket’s emblem in front of the opposing fan base.
Goal line clearance? (2005)
The Ghost Goal Photo/ BT Sports
After purchasing the club for two years, Abramovich was moving closer to realizing his goal of controlling a squad that would win the Champions League. Under Claudio Ranieri, Chelsea made it to the semi-finals in his first season as owner, however, they lost to Monaco.
A year later, they would be at the same point under Jose Mourinho, who a year before had taken an underdog Porto to the title. His team was dominant in the Premier League right from the start, and it seemed the Portuguese manager would provide them with the extra experience they needed to advance further in Europe.
However, knockout tournaments are a different animal entirely, occasionally upending the widely held belief that the greatest performers usually succeed. That sums up Liverpool’s victory in 2005, when they overcame AC Milan in one of the most bizarre finals ever.
Liverpool and Chelsea had a cagey match in the previous round, with little separating the two teams. Luis Garcia’s goal in the third minute of the rematch determined the outcome by the narrowest of margins after the first leg at Stamford Bridge concluded with a score of 0-0. To be honest, nobody is certain if the ball crossed the line completely before William Gallas cleared it. In a matter of seconds, Hawkeye would provide the solution now, but back then, everyone had to accept the referee’s ruling.
Ironically, Liverpool might have wanted to win the league and give Chelsea the European cup if the two clubs had been able to switch positions. However, this match would never be the same after that; a strong rivalry between the two groups of supporters was created, and it would repeatedly reappear over the following several years.
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