CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BETTING PICK - CHELSEA F.C V LIVERPOOL F.C

Champions League

2008-04-30 - Chelsea F.C vs Liverpool F.C

A Sports Betting Pick by Cruiser

Analysis:

After Manchester United booked their ticket to the Champions League final in Moscow with a Paul Scholes wonder goal, Chelsea will be looking forward to getting the better of Liverpool in their 2nd leg semi-final tonight and set up not only an all English final but a clash of the top two in the Premiership where both teams are level on points at the moment and only seperated by goal difference.

Chelsea will be aiming to reach their first Champions League final ever comes into this match without conceding a goal in 12 clean sheets their last 16 Champions league games at Stamford Bridge and can go through by vitue of not conceding a goal by virtue of their away goal scored at Anfield last week.

The advantage os with the Lonon side as the Blues have not lost any of their last eight Champions League semi-finals games played at home as they have managed to win five and drawn three of them. They did managed a goalless dfraw with Liverpool three years ago, a 2-2 draw with Monaco the year before and also a 1-1 draw with Real Mallorca in the 1999 Cup Winners Cup.

The Blues record against English teams is also phenomenal as they have in their past five games against fellow English teams conceded just one goal which was against Arsenal in the 1-1 draw in the quarter-finals.

For Liverpool they have got no choice but to score here and even though they have scored in nine of their last 10 Champions League away games, the only team they failed to score was today's opponents in Chelsea, which was last season when the Special One was in charge.

Now Avram Grant can bring Chelsea to their best finish ever to reach the final and book a date with Manchester United in the final in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on May 21.

It should also be known here that despite Liverpool excellent record in the Champions League where they managed to advanced to the final from 11 of their 14 European semi-finals as well as a fantastic reccrd under Benitez, a look at their past and they have failed to score in a semi-final since 1985 when they beat a Panathinaikos side 1-0 in Athens in the European Cup. They have since then failed to score in all four games since then, which also includes twice at today's venue - Stamford Bridge against Chelsea!

Now coming into this match Chelsea holds the edge after the first leg after John Arne Riise's own goal deep in injury time handed Chelsea a priceless away goal here. All Chelsea needs to do is stop Liverpool from scoring here and they will face United in the final in Moscow.

Chelsea comes into this match in high confidence after beating Manchester United 2-1 and despite Liverpool winning both semi-finals back in 2005 and 2007, the London club will feel they have the advantage here and even go for the double. Since Rafa Benitez took charge of Liverpool in 2004, The Reds have yet to score at Stamford Bridge.

At Stamford Bridge, it is a fortress and United can give full testiment of that (even though they were on the end of some poor refereeing decision late in the game I must add) when they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last weekend. Chelsea have not lost a domestic match since February 2004 and their last defeat in the Champions League was to Barcelona in February 2006 when they went down 2-1 in the First knockout round.

The Blues could be boosted by the return of Frank Lampard after the England International missed the match with Manchester United due to the death of his mother two days previously, which the Chelsea boiys dedicated it to his mum Pat Lampard. Grant is likely to keep Michael Ballack who single handedly destroyed United with two goals last Saturday.

As for Liverpool, they will once again take a fully rested side after their second rated side did well to come back from two goals down to draw with Birmingham 2-2. Their danger will come from Spanish International Fernando Torres who has scored 30 goals in 43 matches. Steven Gerrard will provide the strength in midfield. Riise will be hoping to make amends for his own goal which gave the Blues the advantage, but it waits to be seen if Benitez will field him here.

Take Chelsea who are unbeaten in 81 games at Stamford Bridge to win here and give the 1/4 ball away here.

Cheers and good luck,
Cruiser

The Statistics :

The Pick :

BEST BETTING TIP :

Take Chelsea to win here and to reach to the final.