Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers Preview

EXPECTED LINE-UP

Liverpool : Reina, Aurelio, Skrtel, Carragher, Arbeloa, Mascherano, Alonso, Riera, Gerrard, Kuyt, Torres.

Blackburn : Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews, Mokoena, Warnock, Dunn, Diouf, McCarthy.

INJURIES

Hyypia, Degen (Both Liverpool), Santa Cruz, Roberts, Emerton, Grella, Reid, Pedersen (All Blackburn).

SUSPENSIONS

None

LAST 5 RESULTS (from most recent)

Liverpool : LWWWW

Home 1-3 Chelsea (Champions League)

Away 1-0 Fulham
Home 5-0 Aston Villa
Away 4-1 Man Utd
Home 4-0 Real Madrid (Champions League)
Home 2-0 Sunderland

Blackburn : WDLWD

Home 2-1 Tottenham

Home 1-1 West Ham

Away 0-4 Arsenal

Away 2-1 Fulham

Home 0-0 Everton

 

Premiership matches unless stated

STATISTICS

• In the previous 2 Premiership meetings of Liverpool and Blackburn have ended as 3-1 victories to the Reds.
  
• Blackburn have scored exactly 1 goal in 4 of their last 5 clashes with Liverpool.
  
• Out of 14 Premiership matches at Anfield, Blackburn have won only 1 going back to September 1993.
  
• All 4 goals in this fixture last season came in the final half hour of the match.
  
• Liverpool have gone 26 home games without defeat, the longest current run in the top-flight.
  
• Liverpool have scored the most 90th-minute goals this season : 8
  
• Liverpool have been hit the woodwork 24 times this season, currently leading in the Premiership.
  
• Both teams have been awarded a joint-high 5 penalties this season.
  
• Liverpool are the only side not to have 0 player sent off this season - Liverpool is the most disciplined team!
  
• Rovers have lost only 3 of their last 14 Premier League games.
  
• Liverpool have won 8 and drawn 3 of their 11 north-west derby games this season, scoring 25 goals in the process.

LINKS

• http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/premier-league/2008-2009/liverpool-blackburn-236935.html
  
• http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/fixtures/preview/item94200/

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 3...Aaargh~

I am wordless and stupefied when I saw the results. This probably marks the end of Liverpool's Champion League title challenge. Liverpool has little hope of a comeback as they would be facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next time.

Although Liverpool enjoyed better possession, Chelsea was superior in shots and shots on target. Both teams waste quite a lot of opportunities to create goals. Torres put Liverpool in the lead in the 6' minutes, but an Ivanovic double headers and one by Drogba help Chelsea to come from behind.

Liverpool must win at least 3-1 next round to keep their slim title challenge hope alive. However, there is still a chance. Remember, they demolished Man Utd 4-1 away. Futhermore, Liverpool had famously overturned a 3-goal deficit to AC Milan in the 05 Champions League final to claim the title. Thus, we should not deprive ourselves of thinking that this is the end.

In the other match, Barcelona thrashed Bayern Munich 4-0 and should have no doubt of advancing into the semi-finals. Messi (9', 38), Eto'o (12') and Henry (43') scored to decrease the chances of advancing into semi-final of a Bayern side without Klose to almost zero.

I am too depressed to say anymore. You can visit this link for more information about this match. See you and wait patiently for my next post, which will most probably be about the preview of Liverpool vs Blackburn which shall take place on 11^th April.

Liverpool vs Chelsea Preview

In the quarter-final clashes of the Champions League, the match that is most worth to view is, and should be, Liverpool vs bitter rivals Chelsea at Anfield.

EXPECTED LINE-UP
Liverpool : Reina, Aurelio, Skrtel, Carragher, Arbeloa, Riera, Lucas, Gerrard, Alonso, Kuyt, Torres.
Chelsea : Cech, Ivanoic, Alex, Essien, Terry, Cole, Malouda, Lampard, Ballack, Anelka, Drogba.

INJURIES
Degen (Liverpool), J.Cole, Bosingwa, Ferreira (all Chelsea)

SUSPENSIONS
Mascherano (Liverpool)

LAST 5 RESULTS (from most recent)

Liverpool : WWWWW
Away 1-0 Fulham
Home 5-0 Aston Villa
Away 4-1 Man Utd
Home 4-0 Real Madrid (Champions League)
Home 2-0 Sunderland

Chelsea : WLWDW
Away 2-0 Newcastle
Away 0-1 Tottenham
Home 1-0 Man City
Away 2-2 Juventus (Champions League)
Away 2-0 Coventry City (FA Cup)

Premiership matches unless stated

HEAD TO HEAD (last 10 matches)
Liverpool leading by 4 victories, 3 draws and 3 defeats

FACTS "N" FIGURES

• Liverpool have met Chelsea in each of the last 5 seasons in the Champions League.
• The team who drawn at home in the 1st leg each of the last 3 meetings in the knockout stages was eliminated.
• Liverpool have won 7 and lost none of their last 9 Champions League home matches.
• Liverpool have played Chelsea 22 times in 4.5 seasons since Rafael Benitez's reign, with 7 victories and 9 defeats.
• Liverpool have won both matches against the Chelsea in the Premiership this season.
• Fernando Torres has scored 4 goals in his 4 appearances against the Chelsea.
• Steven Gerrard has scored 7 goals in 7 Champions League appearances this season, currently leading the top scorers.
• Didier Drogba has scored in his last 3 Champions League matches.
• In previous 8 Champions League encounters between Liverpool and Chelsea, only 1 has seen more than 2 goals, and 2 more than 1.
• Chelsea have been caught offside in the Champions League more than any other team so far : 36.
• Liverpool have taken and scored the most penalties in the competition so far : 3.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Villareal 1-1 Arsenal
Senna 9’ ------ Adebayor 65’

Man Utd 2-2 Porto
Rooney 16’ ---- Mariano Gonzalez 89’
Tevez 85’ ------ Rodriguez 4’

TODAY'S FIXTURES

Barcelona vs Bayern
Liverpool vs Chelsea

Click on the following link to view the finer details of Liverpool vs Chelsea.

Fulham 0 Liverpool 1

Liverpool go to the top of the Premier League after an injury time winner by Yossi Benayon saw them beat Fulham 1-0.

As usual, Liverpool dominated the pitch with about 61% of possession and 20 shots against the opponent's miserable 3, including 7 shots on target and 1 for Fulham.

It looked like the Reds had blown a great opportunity to put more pressure on Man Utd after they missed a host of chances and hit the woodwork 4 times in the game. Lady Luck was not, or almost never, with Liverpool in this match.

However, the Israeli winger - on as a substitute - latched on to a loose ball in the 92^nd minute and drilled a rising shot past the previously impregnable Mark Schwarzer to boost Liverpool's title credentials, lifting them to the top of the table, though Man Utd have 2 games in hand. They will be facing Aston Villa in the next must-win match.

Goalkeeper Jose Reina had an easy job in this match, barely touching the ball and without a save. On the other hand or the other end of the pitch, Fulham goalkeeper Schwarzer was fantastic, saving many goals that under normal circumstances should touch the back of the net, but was helpless against Benayon's goal.

Click on this link to view Benayoun's goal or this to watch the highlights of this match. For more information about this match, you can click here.