Chelsea – Liverpool

Good evening one and all and welcome to the Battle of Britain, the winner of which will face Manchester United in the first ever all-England Champions League final in Moscow. Games between these two teams rarely end in a goal fest, but tonight's game should be dripping with drama and tension if nothing else. All the action is live here on ESPNsoccernet.com with me, Chris Murphy.

So, here are the teams, starting with Chelsea: Cech, Essien, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Ballack, Makelele, Lampard, Kalou and Drogba. Subs from: Cudicini, Shevchenko, Obi, Malouda, Alex, Belletti and Anelka.

And Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Riise, Kuyt, Alonso, Mascherano, Benayoun, Gerrard and Torres. Subs from: Itandje, Finnan, Hyypia, Crouch, Pennant, Babel and Lucas.

So, if you're a Champions League newcomer, or if you've been dwelling in Guatemala without access to the world famous ESPNsoccernet website for the last five years, allow me to fill you in on the quite lengthy back story between these two famous clubs..

This is the third time in four years they have faced each other at this stage of club football's most glittering competition, and in the year they didn't meet in the semis they were drawn in the same group.

In the seven previous fixtures, Liverpool have won 1-0 on two occasions and Chelsea by the same score once.

I should also warn you, there has been only one goal scored in the previous three fixtures at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea winning 1-0 there last season.

Today's unavoidable stat is this: Since Rafa Benitez took over at Liverpool, his team haven't scored at Stamford Bridge in eight games, and suprisingly given that fact, they have never won a game there.

Chelsea of course, have a formidable record at home. They've not lost in 66 games, winning 49 and drawing 17. For those reasons, and due to John Arne Riise's last minute own goal at Anfield, the Blues are favourites tonight.

As for the weather, it has been bucketing down in west London all afternoon which will make for a zippy surface, conducive to mistimed challenges and heaps of potential for mistakes.

Right, let battle commence...

Drogba wins a free kick, and only affords himself a little swan dive in the process. Interesting given Rafa Benitez's 'diving' comments this week.

Whisper it quietly, but there's a half decent atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge. It's not often you hear that said.

Drogba bumps into Skrtel and thought he had won a corner as the ball flicked off the defender. Nothing doing with the ref though.

Its all a bit ping-pongy at the moment, perhaps due to weather, or the adrenaline which must be flying through the pumped-up players' veins.

Drogba tries the first pot shot of the game - a good idea in this rain - and Reina turns it round the post for the game's first corner.

Nothing doing from the corner, until Michael Essien tries a curler from 30 yards which flies over the bar.

Liverpool free kick after a Kalou handball, wide on the left. Carvalho clears as someone took a tumble in the box.

The linesman's flag goes up twice in quick succession, bringing an end to two Chelsea forrays. Joe Cole, then Drogba the culprit.

Joe Cole tries to buy a free kick but the ref denied him, then as Liverpool break Gerrard feeds Torres inside the box but Cech is out swiftly to block his shot and concede a corner.

So, both keepers have been tested early, which is a good sign for the game. It is Ballack's turn this time, as he smashes in a left-footed shot from a tight angle. He wants a corner, but he ain't getting one.

Well done Skrtel. He slides in on Drogba as he burst onto Lampard's precise through ball. Corner.

A lovely clipped ball from Lampard released Drogba - who was onside - but Reina was out smartly to hack the ball away. Liverpool's back four was pretty square there. Now Skrtel is down.

Liverpool have wona free kick as Carvalho's arm veered towards Toress's head. Its pretty central, about 25 yards out. Gerrard and Riise over it. The Ginger Ninja to redeem himself perhaps?!

Riise hits it right into the wall and Chelsea clear down field. That was a pretty poor free kick. Riise, we are told, hasn't scored for a year.

A lovely flick from Joe Cole just escapes Ballack, and Liverpool bring the ball away with Benayoun. No one side is on top as yet but both look a little more threatening than last week at least.

Skrtel seems to have recovered from the knock he picked up after that Drogba challenge early on - he whacks the ball away without any bother there.

Great move from Chelsea! Lampard slips Drogba in, with a clear sight of goal, and he rolls it just wide after a less than solid connection on his left foot. What a chance!

You'd expect better from Drogba in that situation - he was 12 yards out at an angle, but he should be scoring them all day long. What a boost that would have been for the Blues.

Its a good job I'm not in the medical profession because my diagnosis of Skrtel a moment ago apears to be horribly wrong. Sami Hyypia is about to replace the stricken Skrtel.

Another cracking effort from Essien, who is on right-back duty tonight. It was arrowing in the bottom corner but Reina gets across comfortably.

Skrtel has indeed gone off and veteran defender Sami Hyypia is on.

Riise finds some space on the left and fizzes in a ball across the 18-yard box and Benayoun tries a hugely ambitious volley but doesn't connect at all.

The pitch looks like it is starting to cut up in places in the face of this biblical-style downpour.

A loose bit of control from Carragher allows Drogba to mosey down the left. His crossfield ball is too strong for Ballack but Chelsea work the ball around well and the German ends up having a pop from 30 yards which Reina can only punch away.

Liverpool break away and Torres runs at Ashley Cole before Terry puts it behind for a corner. Then the ref gives a free kick after Carragher climbed all over Ballack.

Now the linesman punishes Drogba for a shoulder charge on Carragher. By the way, since when did Drogba lose a yard or two of pace? Carragher had no trouble keeping pace with him over a 20 yard sprint distance then.

Hyypia tries a long ball in search of Benayoun - who has hardly had a kick to date - but Cech is out to grab hold.

The game has hit a bit of a lull at present. Some sloppy passing and a few free kicks have contributed to that.

A superb ball from Alonso finds Kuyt down the right but Ashley Cole is in quickly.

Drogba is flagged for offside as a nice move was developing.

GOAL! Drogba!

A superb ball from Lamprd finds Kalou, he cuts inside and tries to curl his shot into the far corner - Reina saves but Drogba is there for the follow up hammers it home from a tight angle. An excellent finsih!

Not meaning to dampen your flames of enthusiasm Chelsea fans, but that doesn't really change that much. Liverpool had to score before the game started, and they still need to now.

Interesting that Drogba initially celebrated in the corner before thinking about it, then sprinting up the field to slide on his knees right in front of Benitez and the Liverpool bench. Cheeky.

If you hadn't heard in the build up, Benitez made some pointed comments about Drogba, saying the striker was a great player, but had a tendency to dive a bit too much.

This is a good spell for Chelsea this. Liverpool can't get out of their half at present. Hyypia gets up to nod away an Essien cross but the Blues continue to press.

Our commentators are making a big fuss about whether Kalou was onside for the goal. even though he was level, they are moaning the flag should have gone up. Rubbish.

Now Gerrard is down for Liverpool, he was clattered by Drogba and the Ivorian striker is lucky not to get a booking for that.

Kalou put the ball out so that Gerrard could get some treatment but then Liverpool refuse to give it back, which induces a chorus of whistles from the home fans.

Kalou is the man of the moment. He runs at the back four forcing Alonso to dive in, haul him down and receive a yellow card. Free kick, just to the left, about 30 yards out.

Ballack's free kick is a gem and Reina gave it up for dead. At the last minute the ball just curled a bit too far and falls the wrong side of the post by about three inches. A wonderful effort.

Liverpool have shrivelled since the goal. Rafa needs to give them a good talking to at the break, and maybe hurl some china tea cups about to make sure they get his message.

Ballack tries a clever little ball with the outside of his right foot looking for Kalou, but Hyypia is across to tidy up. Ballack has had an excellent first half.

A decent spell of possession for Liverpool ends with Alonso trying one of his raking cross field balls, but the zip on the surface takes it away from Riise.

One minute added...

Torres does well to dispossess Makelele, but Kuyt's ball for him to run onto is intercepted by Carvalho and that ... is half time.

Eight-and-a-half games without a goal for Liverpool at Stamford Bridge now. They need one in the next 45 minutes to stay in the competition. We're off again...

During the break the weather has got EVEN WORSE! It's absolutely chucking it down!

An early cameo of how the game might go in this half. Alonso slips as he fires a long ball looking for Gerrard, Stevie G miscontrols it before Cech slides about ten yards along the deck to claim it.

Brilliant save from Cech! A long ball from Alonso is met by Gerrard, Kuyt has a yard of space close to goal and tries to flick it past Cech, who hangs out a leg and makes a vital save.

The corner ends in a right scramble as Kuyt again tries to shoot. The the ball breaks in the driection of Torres before Drogba - of all people - dives in to hack clear.

The ref is getting grief from the home crowd for giving Chelsea a free kick! Mascherano piled in on Essien but the ball had broken for Joe Cole who was charging into the area.

Lampard's free kick is horribly overhit and Liverpool can regroup. Now they win a free kick but Gerrard's lofted ball to the edge of the area is met by the fierce German bonce of Ballack.

A super tackle from Ashley Cole robs Kuyt before Lampard and Drogba exchange passes, and if the striker had got his return ball correct Lampard was clean through.

Drogba swings in a cross and Ballack lays off to Lamprd. He does well to hit it first time as the ball was fair travelling, and his effort is straight at Reina.

Riise does well to keep Alonso's pass in and find Torres but as he returned the ball to Riise, the Norwegian was flagged offside, having only just got back on the pitch after crashing into the advertising boards.

Chelsea enjoy a spell of possession and the Stamford Bridge crowd get the 'ole's' out for every one that is completed. A little early for that I fear.

There is a new mud puddle forming with every minute that this heavy rain continues. This could end up like one of those olden day games where you can't tell the sides apart by the end because both kits are caked in brown filth.

When will we see Peter Crouch I wonder?

Mascherano beats a few men and gets to the byline on the right but his ball in is well claimed by Cech.

Ballack drills a ball looking for Kalou who had broken clear of the back four but a Sami Hyypia boot prevents the ball getting that far.

Ryan Babel is on the bench as well, and I'd be surprised if we don't see him and Crouch introduced sooner rather than later.

Gerrard drifts out to the left and sweeps in a ball that Terry rises to nod clear. There were precious few red shirts in the box though.

At the other end Joe Cole collects a Sami Hyypia clearance and tries a daisy-cutter from 20 yards but again, his effort is right at Reina.

GOAL! Torres!

Benayoun gets involved for the firs time in the game, cuts across the field past Makelele then slipping a lovely little ball under Carvalho for Torres who controls, then strikes past Cech in an instant. A great goal.

He's not had a sniff apart from that first half chance but he only needs a half chance and Torres has buried that. What a cool finish.

So, Liverpool cancel out that Riise own goal up at Anfield, and extra time is now a big possibility.

Liverpool howl for a penalty as Alonso struck at goal and though Terry had his arms outstretched the ball clearly hit his hip.

Sir Alex Ferguson is in the crowd to run the rule over his possible opponents.

Chelsea do seem to have taken their foot off the gas this half and Liverpool have grasped the initiative. They are well on top now.

We've now heard a peep from the Chelsea fans since the goal. This is exactly the time when they should be picking up their side. Liverpool's fans are full of the joys of spring, even though it is lashing it down.

Chelsea change, Malouda is on for Kalou.

Liverpool look fluid all of a sudden as Mascherano, Torres and Gerrard combine but the latter just loses his footing as he tried to change the direction of his run.

Malouda picks up the ball in the final third and swings in a hopeful cross but no-one had gambled on it and it's a Liverpool goal kick.

Chelsea need to up things a gear here. There only looks like one winner on the evidence of the last 15 minutes.

Joe Cole comes out of a tangle with the ball but Arbeloa blocks his ball intended for the unmarked Malouda. Then the Frenchmen swings in a devilish cross which Carragher meets. This is better, and more positive, from Chelsea.

What run from Essien! A marauding run down the right beats Mascherano, then Alonso and as he entered the six yard box from the right he went for goal instead of squaring the ball for a host of his players.

Drogba is penalised for a nudge on Hyypia and does his, 'what me?' routine. Pennant is preparing to come on for Liverpool.

Benayoun makes way for Pennant.

Kuyt wins a flick on from Reina's long clearance and Carvalho concedes a corner as Torres bore down him and keeper Cech.

Makelele blocks Gerrard's corner, largely because he was standing about five yards away! The ref waves away Gerrard's protests though.

Ballack looks like he is hobbling a little. That would be a big blow for Chelsea should he have to come off.

Torres has a little kick at John Terry as they tussled for the ball. Then as Terry gives him a verbal volley Torres grabs the Chelsea skipper's ear to make his point.

Kuyt clatters into Cech after Pennant aimed a cross at him. No complaints from the keeper though and Kuyt, whose momentum took him into Cech, apologises.

Once again we are entering squeaky-bum time where any goal will be decisive - barring any freak last minute own goals of course.

Drogba and Arbeloa have a wrestling match and somehow, the ref adjudges that the Chelsea man was to blame. Liverpool free kick.

What has Mascherano done there? He tried to save a throw-in but booted it straight out for corner.

The ref saves Mascherano's blushes, blowing for a free-kick after Reina had flapped at the ball, and collided with his own player. Soft.

The ref is getting a little too involved here, blowing every five seconds for a foul. This time he penalises Ballack for clipping Mascherano.

Gerrard is down, but it looks like cramp rather than anything more sinister.

Another foul, this time given to Chelsea.

The final minute of the game...

Ashley Cole's long ball is cleared but then Essien feeds Joe Cole. His cross is hacked away by Hyypia though. Two minutes of added on time...

Malouda is flagged offside.

It looks like we're heading for extra time once again...

Time up! Extra time looms...

I'll wind the clock back to 90 for the start of extra time. Two sessions of fifteen minutes each way don't forget..

Joe Cole has made way for Nicolas Anelka.

So, to avoid any confusion, the first period of extra time will finish at 105. Got it?!

A great start to the extra period by Liverpool. A swift attack sees Alonso release Riise who stands up a lovely cross to the back post but neither Torres nor Kuyt can climb high enough to nod home.

From the corner Hyypia loses Drogba and directs a free header agonisingly wide of the post.

GOAL! Essien!

The goal has been disallowed!

What a call that was! The replay showed FOUR Chelsea players were offside but it didn't touch any of them, nor were they directly in the keeper's way, but the linesman flagged right away. Amazing!

Now Chelsea have a penalty!

Hyypia slides in on Ballack and brings down Ballack. Lampard to take it.

Lampard scores!

What bottle from Lampard. He rips off his black armband and kisses it repeatedly, in honour of his mother who died last week. Fair play to Lampard, that took some guts.

Now Babel goes down at the other end. Essien dives in on Babel and wins the ball. The ref is having a busy five minutes and it has all booted off!

ALonso wins the header from the corner but it is right at Cech. Ina ll the penalty drama, Torres has been hauled off and Babel is on. Unbelievable! He didn't look injured..

Gerrard swings in another cross and Cech does well to hold on - especially in these conditions.

Lampard pointed to his dad - Frank snr - in the crowd in the aftermath of the penalty. In what has been a traumatic week for their family, could this be a brighter end to it?

Well! The 90 minutes was more eventful than usual between these two, but extra time has kicked off big time!

Don't forget that Rafa Benitez rested EIGHT players at the weekend, whereas Avram Grant played his first choice XI for their crucial game with Manchester United. Might that prove a factor in this extra period?

GOAL! Drogba! Chelsea are through!

A great move down the right. Essien feeds Malouda, he turns it Anelka who ghosted in behind Riise and he crosses for Drogba to finish from six yards out. Game over!

We're off again. Liverpool need two goals in fifteen minutes..

It'll be like the alamo in this last section of play. All the talk seems to be as to why Torres isn't on the field anymore.

Essien tries to be too cute with a header back to Cech from a long ball, but he gets it wrong and Liverpool have a corner.

Essien gets his head to the corner and puts it behind for another.

Hyypia nipped in front of Drogba in the penalty box and went down. The ref took his whistle to his lips, then thought twice and evetually awarded Chelsea a free kick. That could easily have been the second penalty of the night.

Chelsea's players, led by John Terry were furious with Hyypia, accusing him of diving, but there was definitely contact, however minimal.

Torres has a face like thunder on the bench. He didn't look injured when he came off so what on earth was Benitez thinking of?

Mascherano is penalised for blocking Malouda off the ball. Free kick, 30 yards out, dead central.

Drogba's effort flicks off the wall and behind for a corner. Only Anelka is in the box as yet.

Liverpool are lumping the ball in the box at every opportunity, which begs the question, why isn't Peter Crouch on the pitch?

Chelsea are content just to knock the ball about and exploit the space Liverpool are leaving with this attack-minded formation.

Should Chelasea win, and they surely will now, question marks will certainly be asked about Benitez and his removal of Torres. Obviously we don't know the full story but could it be that Rafa has signed his own death warrant?

GOAL! Ryan Babel!

What a hit from Babel! He's fully 35 yards out and Cech has made a bit of a mess of it. Three minutes left for Liverpool to grab another!

Half the Liverpool fans have already gone!

What a finish to this game!

If Liverpool get another then they are through! Incredible drama! Shevchenko is on in place of Frank Lampard - who gets a standing ovation, and rightly so.

One minute to go. Can Chelsea hang on?

Kuyt is flagged offside as Alonso nicked it off Drogba. Hyypia has gone up front for Liverpool.

Liverpool launch it upfield. Cole blocks his cross and wins a goal kick. Surely that is that.

Cole blocks Gerrard's cross I should have said. One minute added, of which 20 seconds are left.

It's over! Chelsea are through!

Avram Grant sinks to his knees at the final whistle as Chelsea's players form a jubilant huddle in front of their fans. What an amazing game!

So, it is Chelsea and Manchester United battling it our for the Premier League title, and now they will contest the Champions League final as well. Chelsea probably just shaded the game but Liverpool ran them right to the wire.

And what a night for Frank Lampard. He is clearly very emotional at the end of the game. What character he showed to take a vital penalty and put his side on the way to a famous win. Thanks for your company and we'll see you back here tomorrow night for the UEFA Cup semi-finals.