The moment of semi-final truth is nearly upon us and in the crowd cheering the team on this evening will be Chelsea club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton, armed with plenty of background information.

Rick sees Chelsea presenting an unprecedented challenge to Liverpool.


It's the third time our two clubs have met at this stage in the space of four seasons, and maybe it is time the Chelsea bandwagon finally halted Liverpool's progress in the Champions League. With the London-based comedy Three And Out currently doing the cinema rounds, the omens are promising.

Lest we forget, the previous two occasions ended up as 18-certificate viewing for Chelsea supporters, with first a ghost, then a spot-kick horror show among several scenes of a severely disappointing nature. This time the venue will not be fleapit Anfield but the altogether plusher environs of SW6.

And make no mistake, the air after Saturday's stirring defeat of United was thick with talk of reproducing an atmosphere like the thunderous 4-2 win over Barcelona in 2005. Wednesday evening is going to be loud. Perhaps not quite The Who at Charlton in 1976, but certainly louder than Gerry & the Pacemakers, Festival Hall, 1965.

The Blues are bidding to become only the second London club to reach the Champions League final - and the first to win the thing. Liverpool have won it - in case you hadn't heard the dirge - five times. The prize is a flight to Moscow to meet the side Chelsea beat 2-1 last weekend, Manchester United, in the first ever all-English European final.

As well as that win over the Red Devils, Chelsea's morale was hugely strengthened by the last-minute bullet from the head of John Arne Riise in the first leg of this tie. As was Sky Sports match-gazer Phil Thompson's blood pressure. When Riise steered his header home on 94.02 minutes, the Reds' former defensive stalwart seemed to vulcanise internally before spouting what initially sounded like a strangulated 'Penguin!' or 'Pancake!'. Those who replayed it, though, soon discerned the pet name for presenter Ian Payne: 'Paynee!'

Rafael Benítez must already have sensed the boot was on the other foot when the draw was made for the semi-finals and Liverpool faced playing a second leg away from home. Having been fortunate in the Inter tie when a player was sent off early in the first leg, his team coped easily with Arsenal when hosting the decisive quarter-final match at Anfield. But when Chelsea saw off Fenerbahçe, he knew for the semis his side would be walking into a fortress and a personal challenge, too, in this second match at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are unbeaten in 11 home Uefa games, eight of which have been wins. Liverpool have won here just once in 23 matches in all competitions, and not in any of their last eight visits.

Worse for the Merseysiders, Riise's schoolboy error means Chelsea can progress simply by keeping a clean sheet, something the Blues have managed in every home game in this competition since Rosenborg. Liverpool themselves have not scored at the Bridge in their last 777 minutes of football.

This well-publicised sticking point extends back to 2004, when Bruno Cheyrou was the unlikely striker in a 1-0 win.

Older fans know that Liverpool's discomfort in Chelsea's stadium goes way back: the first ever football match at Stamford Bridge in September 1905 ended in a 4-0 home win, albeit a friendly. And in 73 visits since, they've won only 16 times, losing 41. Clive Walker and Peter Rhoades-Brown still go misty-eyed with memories of famous victories on the Fulham Road in 1978 and 1982. Mark Wright probably has a nervous twitch from the 4-2 turnaround of 1997.

Now, though, the Reds have understandable faith in their prolific goalscorer Fernando Torres to break the Benítez duck. However, he is a marksman who prefers the comforts of home: of his 22 league goals in 31 games, just two have come away from Anfield. To date Liverpool have played 12 Champions League games, and Torres has started nine of them, scoring five times - twice away.

It wasn't always like that for him. In 2006/7, his last season with Atlético Madrid, Torres scored 14 goals (the same as Lionel Messi for Barca) with a little over half coming away from the Vicente Calderon stadium.

However, Benítez's Liverpool have tended to act very differently away in the Premier League, playing a deeper game than at Anfield and presenting their striker with fewer chances. Chelsea successfully restricted the supply line from Steven Gerrard to the Spanish striker at Anfield, and will have to do so again.

Now that he knows his team have to score to progress to the final, Benítez may at some stage have to betray his conservative, counterattacking instincts and deploy a high line of attack to force the breakthrough. He will be brave if he does that from the off, even though this season in the Premier League Liverpool have tended not to concede early, but are notably susceptible later on.

The reason it might be risky is that Chelsea have specialised in quick goals in the last few months, and Michael Ballack has scored inside the first six minutes of Chelsea's last two home Champions League games, against Olympiacos (6mins, 3-0) and Fenerbahçe (4mins, 2-0). And Ballack bagged a brace against the Barclays Premier League leaders just this weekend.

Chelsea's mental block is all about progressing from a Champions League semi-final to the final for the first time. Three times the Blues have faltered at this stage.

United have made it this far ten times, and now reached the final three times. Yet Liverpool have completed the last hurdle eight times, and won the competition five times. Although over time they have played more than twice the number of Uefa competition matches than Chelsea (267 to 121) the Reds' win percentage is only marginally better: 56% to 54%.

They are playing a side suddenly in form after an often fitful campaign. Their scouts would have been impressed on Saturday by Didier Drogba's best performance since his knee operation.

For the first time in several weeks he showed the same extraordinary power, touch and determination that last year made him one of the best strikers in the world. It was performances like that for Marseille that dumped the Reds out of the Uefa Cup in 2004 - he scored home and away in that tie and simply terrorised a defence including Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher.

Incidentally, if the Liverpool manager, who seems to like videos, wishes to watch footage of players booked for diving, he could always watch his own man, Peter Crouch, being cautioned for just that against Benfica in 2006, or Riise against Michael Ballack's Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 (Ballack scored twice in a 4-2 win, by the way).

Like Drogba, several of Chelsea's other injured players, notably John Terry, Michael Essien, Petr Cech and Ballack are hitting peak form at a critical stage in the season. The German's cool penalty-taking skills, exhibited on Saturday, will be needed only in the event that tonight's match ends with the same scoreline as Anfield, 1-1, after extra time.

Last week's result means uncharted territory for Liverpool too - in all their European Cup semi-finals they've never before had to defend a score draw from the home leg.

So it is likely be a tense and twitchy night, one when the crowd has to stay behind the players all the way, which we surely will - Barcelona 2005-style. Chelsea have never had a better chance to reach this coveted final tie in the homeland of the club's owner. Let's make it happen.


CHELSEA V LIVERPOOL - Paul Dutton with the numerical notes for the quest to make the big final.

We welcome Liverpool to their third visit to Stamford Bridge this season where they have lost 0-2 in the Carling Cup in December and achieved a 0-0 draw in the Barclays Premier League in February.

If the score after 90 minutes is 1-1 then extra time will be played and if necessary penalties. The away goals rule applies so any other score will result in the game ending after normal time.

There are no suspensions on either side however if John Terry and for Liverpool, Fabio Aurelio, Jamie Carragher or Steven Gerrard are booked tonight they will be suspended for the Champions League Final.

Chelsea and Liverpool meet for an 20th occasion since October 2004. The Reds have not scored in eight games at Stamford Bridge since the arrival of Rafael Benítez.

Since 1989/90 when Liverpool won 5-2, Chelsea have lost only once at Stamford Bridge in all competitions against the Reds in 23 games. Liverpool's win was in January 2004 in the Premiership when a Bruno Cheyrou goal was enough to secure the points. We are unbeaten at home against the Reds in eight meetings.

Since the formation of the Champions League in 1992, 26 teams have progressed to the final via a two legged home/away semi-final. Intriguingly, 13 of those 26 played the first leg at home and 13 played the first leg away. (Note: the finalists in 1992/93 qualified by winning their group and in 1993/94 the semi-final was a one-off game.

15 Champions League knockout ties have been decided on the away goals rule including five where the triumphant team lost the first leg.

Excluding finals, only four ties have gone to penalties (including Liverpool v Chelsea last season).

Liverpool have not lost in a European Cup/Champions League semi-final since 1965 and have won the subsequent seven since then. Chelsea have never progressed beyond the semi-final of this competition.

Liverpool's European Cup / Champions League semi-finals
1964/65 Lost to Inter Milan 3-4 on aggregate (H 3-1, A 0-3)
1976/77 Beat FC Zurich 6-1 on agg (A 3-1, H 3-0)
1977/78 Beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-2 on agg (A 1-2, H 3-0)
1980/81 Beat Bayern Munich on away goals (H 0-0, A 1-1)
1983/84 Beat Dinamo Bucharest 3-1 on agg (H 1-0, A 2-1)
1984/85 Beat Panathinaikos 5-0 on agg (H 4-0, A 1-0)
2004/05 Beat Chelsea 1-0 on agg (A 0-0, H 1-0)
2006/07 Beat Chelsea 4-1 on penalties after extra time (A 0-1, H 1-0)

Liverpool's last five years in Europe
2002/03 UEFA Cup - quarter-finals (having transferred from the Champions League, group stage)
2003/04 UEFA Cup - fourth round
2004/05 Champions League - winners
2005/06 Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 Champions League - runners-up

Liverpool's European Cup / Champions League record is played 156, won 90, drawn 34, lost 32.

Liverpool's last six games
Apr 5 Arsenal (a) D 1-1
Apr 8 Arsenal (CL h) W 4-2
Apr 13 Blackburn (h) W 3-1
Apr 19 Fulham (a) W 2-0
Apr 22 Chelsea (CL h) D 1-1
Apr 26 Birmingham (a) D 2-2

Rafael Benítez made nine changes on Saturday when the Reds came from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 with relegation threatened Birmingham at St Andrews. Crouch and Benayoun scored in the second half. Team Reina; Finnan, Skrtel, Hyypia (c), Riise (Insua 64); Pennant, Plessis, Lucas, Benayoun; Crouch, Voronin.

Liverpool entered this seasons Champions League at the third qualifying round. They finished second in Group A with 10 points, one behind Porto.

Third qualifying round
Aug 15 Toulouse (a) W 1-0
Aug 28 Toulouse (h) W 4-0

Group A results
Sep 18 Porto (a) D 1-1
Oct 3 Marseille (h) L 0-1
Oct 24 Besiktas (a) L 1-2
Nov 6 Besiktas (h) W 8-0
Nov 28 Porto (h) W 4-1
Dec 12 Marseille (a) W 4-0

Round of 16
Feb 19 Inter Milan (h) W 2-0
Mar 11 Inter Milan (a) W 1-0

Quarter-final
Apr 2 Arsenal (a) D 1-1
Apr 8 Arsenal (h) W 4-2

Semi-final
Apr 22 Chelsea (h) D 1-1

Goals (excluding qualifying games) Gerrard 6 (2 pens), Kuyt 5, Torres 5, Babel 4, Benayoun 3, Crouch 3, Hyypia 1.

Liverpool have played 56 games in all competitions winning 31, losing eight and drawing 17. They have scored 114 goals, conceded 47, have kept 23 clean sheets and failed to score 10 times.

Last week's first leg result
Apr 22 2008 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio (Riise 61); Alonso, Mascherano; Kuyt, Gerrard (c), Babel (Benayoun 75); Torres.
Scorer Kuyt (42)
Chelsea (4-3-3) Cech; Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Ballack (Anelka 85), Makelele, Lampard; J Cole (Kalou 62), Drogba, Malouda.
Scorer Riise own goal (90+4)

Chelsea's Champions League semi-finals
2003/04 Lost 3-5 to Monaco (A 1-3, H 2-2)
2004/05 Lost 0-1 to Liverpool (H 0-0, A 0-1)
2006/07 Lost 1-4 to Liverpool on pens after extra time (H 1-0, A 0-1)

Chelsea have appeared in eight previous European semi-finals and are hoping to reach our first Champions League final. We won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 and 1998.

We are looking to extend our club unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge in all competitions to 67 games since our last defeat on February 22nd 2006 when Barcelona beat a ten-man Chelsea 2-1 in the Champions League. That has been our only home defeat in the last 125 games since February 2004.

Chelsea's next goal will be our 100th in all competitions this season.

Chelsea's overall record in European competition is played 141, won 75, drawn 37, lost 29. This is our 11th season in succession in Europe.

Our Champions League results are as follows:
Sep 18 Rosenborg (h) D 1-1
Oct 3 Valencia (a) W 2-1
Oct 24 Schalke (h) W 2-0
Nov 6 Schalke (a) D 0-0
Nov 28 Rosenborg (a) W 4-0
Dec 11 Valencia (h) D 0-0
Feb 19 Olympiacos (Rd of 16 a) D 0-0
Mar 5 Olympiacos (Rd of 16 h) W 3-0
Apr 2 Fenerbahçe (QF a) L 1-2
Apr 8 Fenerbahçe (QF h) W 2-0
Apr 22 Liverpool (SF a) D 1-1

Goals Drogba 4, Ballack 2, J Cole 2, Lampard 2, Alex 1, Kalou 1, Malouda 1, Shevchenko 1, own goals 2 (Deivid, Fenerbahce a. Riise, Liverpool a)

In 67 European games at Stamford Bridge Chelsea have lost three times. Only Lazio (1999/2000 1-2), Besiktas (2003/04 0-2) and Barcelona (2005/06 1-2) have defeated us.

Chelsea have played 69 games in the Champions League proper (excluding qualifying games). We have won 34, drawn 20 and lost 15.

Chelsea have played 58 games in all competitions this season winning 37, drawing 15 and losing six. We have scored 99 goals, conceded 40 and have kept 31 clean sheets. We have failed to score on 10 occasions.

The referee is Roberto Rosetti of Italy. In this campaign he has already officiated Chelsea's brilliant 2-1 away win in Valencia, and the 4-1 defeat Liverpool inflicted on Porto. Last season he was at Stamford Bridge to referee the 2-1 home win over Porto. During the same campaign he took charge of Liverpool's home draw with Maccabi Haifa and their 1-0 win over PSV, also at Anfield.

Our record against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in all competitions is: played 73, won 41, drawn 16, lost 16.

Our Champions League record against Liverpool is: played 7, won 1, drawn 4, lost 2.

21 clubs have won the European Cup/Champions League since the first tournament in 1955/56. The roll call of winners is: Real Madrid 9, AC Milan 7, Liverpool 5, Ajax 4, Bayern Munich 4, Barcelona 2, Benfica 2, Inter Milan 2, Juventus 2, Manchester United 2, Nottingham Forest 2, Porto 2, Aston Villa 1, Celtic 1, Dortmund 1, Feyenoord 1, Hamburg 1, Marseille 1, PSV Eindhoven 1, Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) 1, Steaua Bucharest 1.

Last night Man Utd victory at Old Trafford against Barcelona in the other semi-final guaranteed a first ever all English European Cup final.

The Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow will host the Champions League final on Wednesday 21 May. It is the home of Torpedo Moscow and has a capacity of 84,745 covered seats. It is one of few major European stadiums to use an artificial pitch, having installed the UEFA-approved FieldTurf surface in 2002 to withstand the effects of the freezing winters, although a new natural grass pitch will be laid for the final.

Chelsea's recent shoot-out record is not good having lost the last three. The last time we were successful was in January 1998 in the League Cup quarter-final at Ipswich. Here is our full record:

Oct 1983 Leicester City (home) League Cup second round second leg
Won 4-3 (Dixon, C Lee, Hollins, Spackman). Niedzwiecki two saves
Nov 1985 West Brom (away) Full Members' Cup area semi-final
Won 5-4 (Spackman, Pates, Jasper, Wood, C Lee). Keeper: Niedzwiecki
Feb 1991 Luton (home) Full Members' Cup third round
Lost 1-4 (Dorigo). Keeper: Beasant
Nov 1992 Ipswich (home) Full Members' Cup area quarter-final
Won 4-3 (Wise, Dixon, Allon, V Jones). Hitchcock two saves
Feb 1995 Millwall (home) FA Cup fourth round replay
Lost 4-5 (Stein, Wise, Burley, D Lee). Keeper: Kharine
Jan 1996 Newcastle (away) FA Cup third round replay
Won 4-2 (D Lee , Wise, Peacock, Newton). Hitchcock one save
Aug 1997 Man Utd (Wembley) FA Charity Shield
Lost 2-4 (Zola, Leboeuf). Keeper: De Goey
Oct 1997 Blackburn (home) League Cup third round
Won 4-1 (Leboeuf, Sinclair, Clarke, Nicholls). Hitchcock one save
Jan 1998 Ipswich (away) League Cup quarter-final
Won 4-1 (Leboeuf, Zola, Di Matteo, M Hughes). De Goey two saves
Oct 2005 Charlton (home) League Cup third round
Lost 4-5 (Robben, Gudjohnsen, Lampard, Drogba). Keeper: Cudicini
May 2007 Liverpool (away) Champions League semi-final second leg
Lost 1-4 (Lampard). Keeper: Cech
Aug 2007 Man Utd (Wembley) FA Community Shield
Lost 0-3. Keeper: Cech