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Featured Sport News

Expect the expected

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 07/04/2009

It's deja vu all over again as Liverpool and Chelsea go head-to-head in the Champions League.

The two Premier League heavyweights have locked horns in each of the last four seasons in Europe and the tight and tense nature of each encounter suggests that we are in for another tactical battle on Wednesday, with betting experts divided.

Every previous encounter has been settled by either one solitary goal or penalty kicks and the smart money is on a first-leg stalemate at Anfield followed by extra-time at Stamford Bridge next week.

In the 2004-05 campaign, Liverpool won their semi-final 1-0 on aggregate after Luis Garcia's controversial strike which then Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho claimed did not cross the line.

The following season saw two goalless draws in the group stages, before Liverpool again triumphed in the semi-finals of the 2006-07 campaign on penalties after the aggregate score in the two legs had ended deadlocked at 1-1.

Last season, Chelsea finally exacted some revenge as a 3-2 extra-time second leg victory at Stamford Bridge saw them progress 4-3 on aggregate to the final in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Liverpool have been made slight favourites to win this first quarter-final meeting as they have won both Premier League clashes - 2-0 at Anfield and 1-0 at Stamford Bridge - this season.

Rafael Benitez's side also have momentum on their side in the domestic title race and in Steven Gerrard they possess the tournament's seven-goal joint leading scorer.

Chelsea though have run out 2-0 winners in each of the clubs' two previous quarter-final match-ups - in the League Cup in 2007-08 and in the FA Cup in 1931-32.

But if goals are likely to be at a premium at Anfield then they are likely to be easier to come by when two free-scoring sides meet in the one remaining quarter-final.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich are the joint leading scorers in this season's Champions League with 24 goals from their eight games so far.

The Spanish league leaders advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-3 aggregate victory over Olympique Lyonnais, while Bayern romped to a 12-1 success after outclassing Sporting Lisbon.

But although Barcelona are firm favourites to progress to the last four, the reigning Bundesliga champions should not be totally dismissed for two key reasons.

Firstly their potent attacking trio of Miroslav Klose (seven goals), Luca Toni (three goals) and Franck Ribery (three goals) would prove a handful for even the meanest of opposition defences.

Secondly, Barcelona are anything but stable at the back as their attacking style of play has resulted in a defence which has conceded the most goals of any of the last-eight participants - 11 - and one that is still to keep a clean sheet on home soil this season.

Away goals could therefore prove vital in a quarter-final tie which is likely to attract the attention of many neutrals.

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