LONDON - Chelsea has the upper hand going into the second leg of its Champions League semifinal at home against Liverpool today.
Liverpool may have the tradition and five European Cups to its name but John Arne Riise's own-goal deep into stoppage time in the first leg at Anfield last Tuesday handed Chelsea a priceless away goal and a 1-1 draw.
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Chelsea starts as the favorite to reach the final for the first time and as long as Avram Grant's men stop Liverpool from finding the net, they will face Manchester United at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on May 21.
Liverpool and Chelsea, meeting in their third Champions League semifinal in four seasons, will be facing each other for the 20th time in all competitions in that period.
The Anfield club won both previous semis in 2005 and 2007 but Chelsea will be in good spirits after its battling 2-1 win over Manchester United in the English Premier League on Saturday kept alive its hopes of a Premiership-Champions League double.
Chelsea also has an excellent recent record over Liverpool, which has not scored in eight visits to Stamford Bridge since Rafa Benitez took charge at Anfield in 2004.
The Londoners have turned Stamford Bridge into a fortress, having not lost a domestic match since February 2004 and any game since losing 2-1 to Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League first knockout round in February 2006.
Still, Benitez said the pressure is on Chelsea, with fans feeling a spot in the final is long overdue.
"I think they want to win clearly and all their supporters will push and try to support the team," Benitez said yesterday. "The players know it's an important game for them - three years to [get to] the final, they will be a little bit under pressure."
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is confident his side can again rise to the occasion in European play.
"I'll be realistic and say the advantage lies with Chelsea now," Gerrard said. "They are a very good team and they have been very strong at home for a long time. But we have shown over the last few years that we are a very good team away from home in Europe - and we want to go to Stamford Bridge and prove ourselves again."
Chelsea is also likely to have Frank Lampard back in the squad after the England midfielder missed the United match following the death of his mother two days previously. Grant said it is up to Lampard if he wants to play.
"We leave this to him," Grant said. "It is not easy what's happened."
Lampard resumed training on Sunday, according to media reports, but even if he declares himself ready to return, Grant might be tempted to retain the midfielders who performed so well against United, led by two-goal German Michael Ballack.
Liverpool is a tougher proposition in Europe than in domestic matches and Benitez will take a rested squad to London, having made nine changes from the side that played Chelsea last week for Saturday's 2-2 Premier League draw at Birmingham City.
"We really feel that we are as good as Chelsea, if not better than them," Gerrard said. "We have certainly been the better team when we've played them this season."
Fernando Torres, who has scored 30 goals in 43 matches since joining Liverpool at the start of the season, poses the biggest danger while Gerrard will look to add to the 21 he has netted from midfield.
But as long as the hosts do not concede a goal Chelsea will be bound for Moscow, a thought to delight their billionaire Russian owner, Roman Abramovich.
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