Liverpool win the numbers game

The Liverpool FC fans goaded their Chelsea FC counterparts about their lack of history in a predictable prelude to the match as one of Europe's mythical football arenas played host to this UEFA Champions League semi-final. As the five-time European champions sought to advance to a seventh final, they knew they had statistics on their side.

Poor precedent
The stadium was at its most intimidating with a spine-tingling rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone which even drew applause from the Chelsea contingent. However, for all the pre-match talk of the Anfield effect, Liverpool were going to have to do something special to progress: on the five previous occasions they had come home from a first-leg defeat in Europe, they had gone on to lose on aggregate, with SL Benfica, RC Celta de Vigo, Genoa 1893, FC Spartak Moskva and RC Strasbourg setting a trail Chelsea hoped to follow.

Against the odds
Not since a 3-0 win against AJ Auxerre made amends for a 2-0 defeat in France, back in 1991/92, had Anfield staged a genuine European escape act. Liverpool also knew that no team had come back from a first-leg deficit in a UEFA Champions League semi-final since Juventus overcame Real Madrid CF at this stage in 2003. Throw in the fact that the last time Liverpool had lost a first leg against English opposition in this competition they also succumbed overall, to Nottingham Forest FC in 1978/79, and the odds appeared stacked in Chelsea's favour.

Agger strike
In this respect, the present trumped the past on 22 minutes when Daniel Agger, the young Danish international who had not scored in the tournament, put the exquisite finishing touch to a well-worked Liverpool free-kick. Suddenly Anfield witnessed unbridled exultation. With Javier Mascherano snuffing out the few Chelsea attacks that did develop, and Jermaine Pennant and Steve Finnan providing the width on the right that the Merseysiders so sorely lacked in the first leg, Liverpool largely controlled the opening half-hour.

Chelsea riposte
Yet recent history shows that little separates these sides in one-off matches and the English champions, even shorn of their secondary spine of Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko, inevitably responded. Pepe Reina had to block a shot from Didier Drogba before the interval, and it was under pressure from Drogba that Jamie Carragher poked over his own goal from close range 15 minutes from time. By then Liverpool should arguably have had the tie wrapped up. Petr Čech saved with his feet from Peter Crouch's header and Dirk Kuyt rattled the woodwork as Liverpool created a series of opportunities midway through the second half.

Perfect penalties
The ensuing period of extra time was a historic first for a UEFA Champions League semi-final - and a nerve-shredding experience for all. Chelsea had more possession. Kuyt was frustrated by the offside flag and then by Čech. Drogba narrowly failed to convert a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross. More history followed: the first semi-final shoot-out in the competition since 1986. Liverpool's record in penalty deciders is remarkable, however, and they made it eleven wins out of 12 with four perfect spot-kicks and two Reina saves. Now they could face Manchester United FC in the Athens final - or a case of history repeating itself should AC Milan set up a sequel to 2005.