Source: SKY_Sports
Blues at the Bridge
Phil Thompson says Liverpool will gain revenge for last year's Champions League semi-final defeat to Chelsea when the sides meet in the last-eight in April.[LNB] The Blues progressed to the 2008 final by winning 4-3 on aggregate thanks to a 3-2 victory in the second leg at Stamford Bridge only to miss out on penalties to Manchester United in Moscow.[LNB]Full UEFA Champions League draw[LNB][LNB]But Thompson feels it will be a different story this time around even though Rafa Benitez's side must again host the first leg before travelling down to London.[LNB]"I've said all along, I think Liverpool can do anything over two legs," Thompson told Sky Sports News. "It's just incredible that it should be Chelsea again after the amount of times we've played each other.[LNB]"We know them - Chelsea are just coming into a bit of form. Ideally, I would have liked the Liverpool away leg first; I just think it's an incredible draw and I've got Liverpool against Porto in the final!"[LNB]The teams, who are meeting in the competition for the fifth year on the spin, have played each other eight times in the competition in total picking up two wins apiece, and Thompson expects the fixture to be another closely-contested affair.[LNB]"There's going to be very little between the two sides; they are both top-class sides. [LNB]"I know that it will be an extremely tight game but over the two legs I fancy Liverpool all the time. If the legs were the other way around I'd be sitting here rubbing my heads with glee because the second leg at Anfield, we'll beat anybody.[LNB]"It's a little different with the second leg at Stamford Bridge - that will make it a bit tougher."[LNB]BeautifulBut former Holland and Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink disagreed, saying: "Chelsea are now on the way up.[LNB]"I think Chelsea will use this game to put a few things right; the second game is at home, which is beautiful. I don't think this is going to be a Liverpool tie - I really fancy Chelsea.[LNB]"It's always going to be close between them: it's going to be between Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard and Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard: whoever plays best out of those four will win the game."[LNB]Thompson, Liverpool assistant manager between 1998-2004, stressed how important it is that the second leg should not clash with the anniversary of Hillsborough on April 15.[LNB]"It's close enough the way it is," he said, "but you could not play on the same day; it's highly emotional on Merseyside still. [LNB]"There are issues that have not been sorted still 20 years on and it's just right UEFA have said a game won't go on on the 15th because it is very, very sensitive indeed."[LNB]
