Liverpool Cruise To Semi-Final

To be perfectly honest, Liverpool were simply in cruise control last night to win 1 - 0 (agg 4 - 0) against PSV to set up a Champions League semi-final re-match with Chelsea. Peter Crouch scored the only goal of the game.

It was so comfortable because Liverpool had effectlively done all the hard work last week away at PSV when they won 3-0. Couple that with PSV’s lack of adventure and it meant the Reds progression was basically never in doubt. The PSV manager, Ronald Koeman said as much after last week’s game.

With all that said though the Liverpool keeper, Jose Reina, did have to make two smart saves from Jefferson Farfan. One in the first few minutes from a sharp header at the near post. It was alomost straight at Reina but it was powerful and had it been a yard either side, it could have been a different story. An early PSV goal would certainly have changed the atmosphere.

The PSV cause wasn’t helped by the slightly harsh sending off of Dirk Marcellis for a foul on Bolo Zenden before Crouch tapped in Robbie Fowler’s cross to give Liverpool a 1-0 victory on the night. PSV never looked as though they could overturn the big first leg deficit and the sending-off ending all hope.

To be fair Ronald Koeman and PSV did have a huuge injury-hit and they are severely out-of-form domestically. There have even been protests back in Holland. Koeman is a man under pressure at the moment and this was certainly a “no-win” situation for him.

However, Benitez rested some of Liverpools most influential players including both Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher and at times it did look as though they missed, certainly Gerrard’s driving force in midfield. The lack of Carragher at the back was no real loss in such a game and with Sami Hyppia taking his place, Liverpool certainly had a good and experienced replacement.

One of the highlights of the evening thought was the home supporters and in particular The Kop. They had clearly come to enjoy themselves and have a party despite having little to get excited about. The noise and atmospshere generated would have grraced a far more demanding and highly charged game than this.

Everbody at Anfield will know that a much sterner test awaits when they face Chelsea in a repeat of their 2005 semi-final that the Reds won 1-0 on aggregate. You would have to say that, in reality, no matter how professional you try to be and how much you say you are only thinking of the next game [PSV], all the players looked as though they already had their minds firmly on Chelsea already. They knew as long as they remained professional and did nothing stupid, this tie was over. They did remain professional, they didn’t do anything stupid got got the job done with almost no worries. There only one will be an injury to Craig Bellamy who seemed to jar his knee ligaments.

The Semi-Final will be very different to this. One thing for sure, Chelsea will be hell-bent of revenge for the 2005 defeat at Anfield and Liverpool will also be desperate to get to Athens to try to win the trophy for a sixth time. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait!

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Many thanks
Rik