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Chelsea FC - Liverpool FC MATCH PREVIEW Stamford Bridge, London Tuesday 14 April 2009 - 20.45CET Matchday 10 - Quarter-finals, second leg Liverpool FC have summoned the memory of Istanbul as they plot another 'mission impossible' aimed at overturning Chelsea FC's two-goal advantage from their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg. Comeback pedigree The Merseysiders succumbed 3-1 at Anfield last week to jeopardise their chances of securing a likely semi-final against FC Barcelona – 4-0 first-leg victors against FC Bayern München – but manager Rafael Benítez knows his side have already proved their comeback pedigree in more daunting situations. Most notably, they retrieved a three-goal half-time deficit in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League final against AC Milan in Turkey to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup for a fifth time after a penalty shoot-out. "Istanbul is maybe the best ever final in the history of the Champions League," he said. "To beat Chelsea would be a fantastic achievement but a final is a final." Gerrard key Liverpool's hopes rest to a large extent on whether Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are functioning at their best, and it will have been a boost to the visitors that the England midfielder took part in Monday's final training session with seemingly no pain from the groin injury which kept him out of Saturday's 4-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers FC, a result that kept the second-placed Reds in the Premier League title hunt. "If he's fit, Stevie is a key player and an inspiration," added Benítez. "Hopefully he can play well, score goals and be a leader on the pitch. " 'Chelsea under pressure' The initial task for the Spaniard's charges will be to score first at Stamford Bridge and hope that gives them momentum. "This is football; you never know what will happen," he continued. "We have nothing to lose. Chelsea will be under pressure because they have to win, but then they have experienced players who have been through this before." Professional approach In the opposition camp, Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink rejected the notion that complacency could creep into his team, who will be without suspended captain John Terry. "We will prepare very professionally because we know Liverpool are a very good team and they play beautiful football," he said. "Torres is very dangerous but they have several players who are capable of causing harm if you are not closing them down or if there is a lack of concentration for a slight second." Open game The Dutchman also warned supporters to expect an open encounter. "I cannot believe we will have a game where nothing happens in the first hour and then the teams decide to take risks; it is not in their souls to do that," he said. "We are at home and of course we have to go for the win." There were certainly goals to savour in the league at the weekend, when third-placed Chelsea conceded three times late on after building a 4-0 advantage over Bolton Wanderers FC, however Hiddink feels his side have learned from that scare, concluding: "We should have controlled the rest of the game. You can concede one goal but one alarm bell should be enough. The problem was that the alarm clock kept ringing." Last updated 14.04.2009 11:23:24CET www.uefa.com 1 Chelsea FC - Liverpool FC Tuesday 14 April 2009 - 20.45CET MATCH PREVIEW Stamford Bridge, London Reina finds reasons to believe Pepe Reina admitted it was "almost impossible" for Liverpool FC to claw back Chelsea FC's two-goal advantage in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final return leg but added that if anyone was capable of such a feat it is the men from Anfield. Istanbul inspiration The 3-1 lead which the London club brought back from Merseyside last week presents a formidable challenge for the Spanish goalkeeper and the rest of the Liverpool team to overcome but they are not short of examples where they have upset the odds to record a famous victory. "We have the inspiration of Istanbul," Reina agreed, recalling the 2005 UEFA Champions League final when a 3-0 half-time deficit against AC Milan turned into a memorable victory on penalties. Chelsea favourites "And we also had the recent game at Old Trafford when we won 4-1 [against Manchester United FC] and no one expected us to do it. We know already it is going to be almost impossible but if anyone can, it is Liverpool. Chelsea are clear favourites, it's in their hands, but if we play really really well and they have a bad day then of course we have a chance." On the attack If things do not go to plan for Liverpool and Chelsea score first then that need not necessarily be a critical blow, Reina insists. "It won't make any difference because our target is to score three goals," he said. "If we concede we still have the chance to go to extra time if we score three. We have to attack – that is clear." Torres in good shape The goalscoring menace of Fernando Torres is a factor stoking up Liverpool's confidence. "He is in good shape right now, he's in good form and hopefully he can help us. But Fernando without the rest of the team is nobody and that is the same for every member of the team. We all rely on our team-mates." Bolton pointers The fact Chelsea conceded three late goals in a 4-3 victory over Bolton Wanderers FC on Saturday might offer Liverpool a route to victory at Stamford Bridge. "That was in a different competition and Chelsea just needed to win, which they did," Reina pointed out. "Every team has weak points and there is always something to exploit but we know it is going to be very difficult for us." Last updated 14.04.2009 11:23:24CET www.uefa.com 2 Chelsea FC - Liverpool FC Tuesday 14 April 2009 - 20.45CET MATCH PREVIEW Stamford Bridge, London Carvalho ready to step up to plate Absent for Chelsea FC's superb first-leg victory at Liverpool FC, defender Ricardo Carvalho is hoping to fill suspended captain John Terry's boots in Tuesday's decider and help last season's runners-up confirm their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. 'Great result' The London club took a firm foothold in their quarter-final at Anfield, running out 3-1 winners despite falling behind to an early Fernando Torres goal. Their 30-year-old centre-back was restricted to the bench following his recovery from an ankle injury, but he is now determined to play his part and finish off the five-time European champions on home soil. "We got a great result away from home and now it's important to carry on that performance," Carvalho said. "We have to go out there to win, to play and to try and score." Wake-up call The Portuguese international knows one goal could kill off any hopes Liverpool harbour of scaling an already daunting obstacle. In the four UEFA Champions League games at Stamford Bridge between the sides in recent seasons, the Merseyside club have scored just twice – one fewer than they need to have any chance of progression. However, if there was any possibility of complacency in the Chelsea camp, Saturday's 4-3 league win over Bolton Wanderers FC – where Guus Hiddink's side came perilously close to surrendering a four-goal lead – has dispelled it. Terry absence "We played well in the first half but stopped playing in the second and made some mistakes in defence," was Carvalho's take on the nervous victory. "We have to learn from those mistakes – it's good to have a game soon after. We conceded too many goals and normally we are strong at home." Carvalho played alongside Terry at the weekend and is confident the Blues can cope without their talisman as they return to European action. "We will miss JT, but he's suspended and we can't change the rules," he said. "Our back four has to be compact and play as normal. The important thing is to get through." 'Become stronger' Such was the impressive nature of Chelsea's first-leg performance that many pundits have already started to think about a semi-final date with FC Barcelona, 4-0 leaders against FC Bayern München at the halfway stage of their tie. However, previous experience has warned Carvalho against thinking too far ahead: "In the Champions League, you have to play both legs at a really high level, and to make it to the final you need a bit of luck as well. This competition means a lot to us. We have had some problems this season but I think we've become stronger and we're now in good shape." Last updated 14.04.2009 11:23:24CET www.uefa.com 3.

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