Chelsea progress after thriller - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Chelsea progress after thriller

Chelsea denied Liverpool the glory of another sensational European comeback to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League after a thrilling 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool, trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield, stunned the Blues with two first-half goals from Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso, who scored a penalty.

The Blues responded after the break with goals from Didier Drogba, Alex and Frank Lampard to lead 6-4 on aggregate at one stage. But two goals in as many minutes from Lucas and Dirk Kuyt left Liverpool just one goal adrift of an incredible victory. However, Lampard's second of the night in the 89th minute secured a draw on the night and a 7-5 Chelsea win on aggregate to set up a mouth-watering tie against Barcelona.

Liverpool made the ideal start, taking the lead after just 19 minutes. With everyone expecting his free-kick from the right of goal to be pumped high into the centre of the penalty area, Aurelio stunned everyone, including the flat-footed Petr Cech, by firing his 30-yard effort straight into the bottom near corner of the net.

Referee Luis Cantalejo then rightly awarded Liverpool a penalty when Chelsea's first-leg goal hero Branislav Ivanovic clearly held back Alonso. The Liverpool midfielder stepped up to beat Cech and suddenly the impossible seemed possible.

Guus Hiddink's side needed a goal to take the sting out of Liverpool's motivation and it arrived somewhat fortunately in the 51st minute.

Nicolas Anelka, a 35th-minute replacement for the poor Salomon Kalou, crossed low from the right and Drogba got a touch on the ball, with Jose Reina only able to turn it over the line.

Chelsea made it 2-2 on the night when Jamie Carragher's foul on Drogba was punished by a fierce 25-yard free-kick by Alex and with 14 minutes remaining Liverpool's dreams looked finished when Drogba crossed for Lampard to apply the finish.

But a long-range effort from Lucas was deflected off Michael Essien and beyond Cech in the 81st minute and, somewhat astonishingly, Kuyt put Liverpool 4-3 ahead on the night with a six-yard header two minutes later.

But with Liverpool needing one more goal for a glorious victory in this emotional week on Merseyside, 20 years on from the Hillsborough disaster, Lampard ended a stunning contest with his second of the night in the last minute to ensure Chelsea will face Barcelona in the last four.

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