Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea

match report
By J Wade
May 4 2005

It's a proud night for Liverpool Football Club after Luis Garcia's first half goal gave them victory over Chelsea and a place in their 6th European Champions Cup Final later this month.

The Reds had to defend resolutely after Garcia's early strike gave them the edge, but Chelsea's Premiership winning bubble was well and truly burst on an emotionally charged night at Anfield.
 
And Liverpool fans will enjoy a great night's celebration before joining the scramble for tickets and flights for a final against either AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven.
 
We had expected an electric atmosphere for this massive match, but even by Anfield standards, this was something very special.
 
And the sheer velocity of the home support spurred Liverpool into a coat-throat opening that brought them the crucial goal.
 
Only 3 minutes had passed when Gerrard's flick sent Baros surging clear. He appeared to be brought down by Cech as he prodded the ball past him, but cries for a penalty were quickly replaced by screams of joy as Luis Garcia raced in to put the ball in the Kop net.
 
Garcia's goal was the only notable goal action in a first half that saw Chelsea push Liverpool back, but fail to trouble Jerzy Dudek.
 
As expected the second half was a nervy affair and you could almost hear the finger nails being chewed on the Kop. But those fans needn't have worried because their defence and their goalkeeper refused to give way to Chelsea's wave after wave of attacks.
 
Dudek needed to be at his best on 67 minutes to make a smart save from Lampard. But for the most part he was excellently protected by a backline marshalled superbly by Carragher and Hyypia.
 
For all the Chelsea pressure though Liverpool showed they still had an attacking threat of their own and Cisse almost made the game safe with a header that Cech was forced to save.
 
He had an even better chance in stoppage time, but in the end it didn't matter and it will be Liverpool and not Chelsea who will carry the hopes of the country into the final.
 
What an achievement for Rafa, his players and everyone at the club.

Teams

Liverpool: Dudek, Traore, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan, Riise, Gerrard, Hamann, Biscan, Garcia, Baros.

Subs: Carson, Kewell, Nunez, Smicer, Cisse, Warnock, Welsh
 
Chelsea: Cech, Gallas, Terry, Carvalho, Geremi, Cole, Lampard, Makelele, Mendes, Gudjohnsen, Drogba.

Subs: Cudicini, Johnson, Kezman, Huth, Robben, Morais, Forssell