Blackburn Rovers – Liverpool

The Reds return to Ewood Park, where we hope a little harmony breaks out after their most recent visit. Don't bet on it though. All the action here from 20.00 GMT

Both sides will field strong teams for this League Cup encounter - with a recent history between the two clubs.

Blackburn's Neill broke Carragher's leg in a league match earlier this season and a war of words ensued.

This game could get fiesty......

Babbel, Friedel and Thompson are all facing their old club Liverpool as Rovers look to keep their first clean sheet of the season.

Talented youngster Sinama gets things underway for Liverpool at Ewood Park.

Thompson chips the ball into the box and Hyypia, who had hamstring trouble before the match, heads clear.

Le Tallec collects a long-ball, Sinama takes over but can't find space for the shot.

Heskey fires off a long-range shot but it doesn't worry Friedel.

Kirkland, making his first start of the season, rushes off his line to collect a throughball.

Gresko chips the ball forward to Cole, Henchoz intercepts with a towering header.

Diouf crosses from the left. There is nobody in the box and Blackburn clear their ranks.

Thompson looks to dissect the Liverpool centre-backs with a probing ball, but Henchoz is equal to the challenge once again.

Traore skips past Thompson, but Neill covers with a crunching challenge on the wing.

Heskey lays the ball back for Le Tallec, who fires a 20-yard shot wide of Friedel's left-hand post.

Neill takes a tumble in the box, under a challenge from Traore, but the ref is having none of it.

Thompson pounces on a loose ball from Gerrard and drives towards goal.....

...the little midfielder fires of a long-range effort that drifts just wide of Kirkland's left-hand post.

Gresko picks out Cole on the edge of the box. Cole controls the ball on his chest, turns and buries the ball in the back of the net. The ref blows for offside.

Yorke flicks the ball wide to Cole, who fails to knock it past Henchoz and chase it down himself.

Traore takes an eternity over a freekick and then wastes it.

Tugay concedes a foul 35-yards out. Gerrard shoots and Friedel claims low to his right.

Gerrard hits a curling cross in from the right, but again there are not enough bodies in the box to cause Blackburn a problem.

Murphy switches play to right. Biscan can't beat Reid and Blackburn have possession.

Neill overlaps Thompson on the right and whips in a cross......

..Cole sticks out a boot but Hyypia stoops to head the ball clear at the near post.

Gerrard hooks the ball forward, Le Tallec crosses from the left and Sinama scuffs his volley from the edge of the box.

Diouf does well to get to the byline and fashion a cross....again there is only one person in the box for Liverpool.

Traore gallops down the left flank. He plays a one-two with La Tallec, but the youngster puts too much on the return ball and the move ends.

Thompson wins a corner. The delivery is poor and the ball drifts over everybody packed into in the area.

Biscan beats Reid and whips in a cross. Taylor heads clear from a crowd of Red shirted attackers.

Cole leaves Hyypia for dead but runs straight into Traore - who has had a good half at left-back.

Hyypia looks as though he is struggling and is looking across to the bench.

Diouf crosses from wide on the right but Blackburn have had plenty of practice at heading the ball clear in this match and deal with it again.

Riise is preparing himself to replace Hyypia.

Babbel makes an important interception from a Heskey through-ball and Blackburn attack....

Cole beats Henchoz and Hyypia. Traore races across with a covering tackle but sends Cole tumbling on the edge of the box.

Ferguson stands over the freekick. His curling shot beats Kirkland but the ball comes back off the bar and Liverpool escape.

It sounds like a lone drummer in a library at Ewood Park tonight.

Thompson drives down the right and delivers a cross. Yorke heads the ball down into the corner of the net and the deadlock is broken. GOAL!!!

The silence is finally broken with a huge cheer from the home fans.

Yorke combines with Cole to beat the Liverpool defence. Cole chips the ball from the edge of the box but his shot drifts wide.

Gresko hits an attempted cross that turns into a shot on goal. Kirkland scrambles across to save under the bar.

Sinama latches onto a Murphy throughball. Neill clips his foot and the youngster takes a tumble in the box.......

...The ref points to the spot for a penalty and shows Neill a harsh red card. Blackburn down to ten men.

Murphy steps up to take the pen and coolly smashes it into the top corner. 1-1

All square at Ewood and a late flurry of activety before the break.

Le Tallec goes into a challenge with Reid with his studs showing and gets booked.

Murphy takes a long-range pot-shot and Freidel has to scurry to his left to make the save.

Ferguson hits a long-ball towards Cole. There is too much weight on the pass and it runs through to Kirkland.

....Zzzzz.....Zzzzzz.....That's the last action before the break. The ref blows for half-time.

Two goals and a sending off, but it wasn't the most exciting half of football ever seen.

Blackburn get the second-half underway.

Heskey latches onto a long-ball early in the second-half and has only Friedel to beat....

...the Liverpool striker drags his shot wide of the near post. A good chance that should have resulted in a goal.

Liverpool have made changes at the break, Kewell has come on for Sinama and Riise has replaced Hyypia.

Diouf crosses from the left. Heskey jumps highest and steers his header past Brad Friedel. 2-1 Liverpool.

Tugay plays a clever freekick to Thompson on the edge of the box....

...Thompson turns into the area and flashes a shot across the face of goal that drifts narrowly wide.

Ferguson lofts the ball towards Cole but Henchoz makes a covering header.

Gerrard plays the ball down the line for Le Tallec. The Frenchman crosses and Heskey heads just over the cross bar.

Kewell is caught offside. Freekick.

Blackburn look to catch Heskey offside, the flag stays down and Kewell gets in behind the defence. Taylor makes an important tackle.

Diouf and Kewell probe the left flank. Blackburn defend well and push Liverpool back into their own half.

Gerrard takes a corner but Gresko cuts it out at the near post. Liverpool are immediately back in possession.

Riise cuts in from the left. Babbel makes a good tackle in the box but the ball bobbles to Diouf, who blasts his shot over the bar.

Blackburn make a change. Thompson is replaced by Emerton.

Gresko ducks and dives his way past Biscan but his cross goes straight out of play.

Gresko pushes up and Kewell gets in behind the defender. Kewell races towards goal, with only Friedel to beat.....

..He scuffs his left foot shot amusingly wide.

Diouf probes the left. The Senegal international beats Emerton and delivers a cross. Heskey heads home at the back post. 3-1 Liverpool.

Emerton delivers a first time ball into the box. Cole slides in but can't stretch enough to make contact with the ball.

Emerton lays the ball back for Reid, who fires a 20-yard daisy-cutter just wide of Kirkland's right-hand post.

Blackburn have reacted well to Liverpool's third goal, but they are still losing 3-1 and down to ten men.

The Liverpool fans are giving each pass the 'ole' treatment.

Emerton delivers a good quality corner. Yorke heads over the bar, under pressure at the back post.

Ferguson makes a forward burst from midfield. Cole attmepts a to find him with a through-ball but Henchoz cuts it out.

The ref stops the game for a head injury to Babbel. He is okay to continue.

Gerrard drives through the midfield but is forced wide right by Gresko. Gerrard whips in a cross but Friedel claims.

Cole beats Biscan on the left. He cuts inside and opts to shoot himself from 35-yards. Kirkland watches it sail over the bar.

The Liverpool fans, who make up at least half of the crowd, are trying their best to create an atmosphere.

Yorke sets up Reid for a shot from the right of the box. The ball flashes across the face of goal and Cole turns it away as he tries to prod into the back of the net.

Kewell breaks for Liverpool. Gresko gives chase and pulls the Australian's shirt in the box....

...The ref points to the spot once again, no card this time however.

Gerrard spots the ball but Heskey wants his hattrick and over-rules his skipper.

Heskey hits a weak penatly to Freidel's left. The keeper makes the block and saves the follow up shot.

Gerrard scoops the ball over the bar from close-range. Liverpool are playing all the football at the moment.

Diouf is asking questions of Reid on the left again. He finds Le Tallec, who spots Heskey unmarked in the box. Heskey shoots and Freidel tips the ball over the bar.

Diouf is rampant on the left. He finds space to cut the ball back for Kewell, who slots the ball home form 8-yards out. 4-1 Liverpool.

Blackburn attack straight from the kick-off. Cole plays Ferguson into the box....

..The Scot keeps his cool and slots the ball past Kirkland for his first Blackburn goal. 4-2.

Liverpool make a change. Gerrard is replaced by Hamann.

Blackburn make an attacking change and Reid is replaced by young striker Gallagher.

Riise cuts in from the left and powers a shot straight at Friedel. There could be goals still to come in this match.

Blackburn make another change. Johansson replaces Gresko.

Kewell tricks his way through midfield and fires a shot into the side netting. The Liverpool fans, and manager, thought it was in.

Johansson crosses from the left. Yorke gets a flick on the ball and Gallagher acrobatically shoots over the bar.

Kewell lofts the ball to the back post. Le Tallec decides not to shoot and knocks the ball back across the face of goal. Taylor clears.

Heskey collects the ball on the edge of the box. He looks up and then seems to bizarrely pass the ball back to Friedel.

Blackburn are having to chase the ball all over the pitch.

Friedel hoofs the ball up the pitch for a last attack. Yorke is flagged offside.

Emerton crosses from the left but Cole can't reach it. Ferguson keeps the ball in play and sets up Yorke....

....Yorke fakes a shot, turns inside and then slots the ball under Kirkland. 4-3.

It's all too little too late as the ref blows for full-time.

The game never really came to life until the second-half, but it was well worth waiting for.

In the end the scoreline was closer than the match suggested and League Cup holders Liverpool go into the draw for the next round.