Chelsea are through to the semis of the Champions League - the final piece of their treble puzzle - after withstanding a late rally from Bayern München, losing 3-2 on the night but winning 6-5 on aggregate. They'll be watching tonight's Liverpool-Juventus quarterfinal closely, as they'll meet the winners next round. Liverpool currently hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg, but they head to Turin with a whole host of injuries, including skipper Steven Gerrard, who is out with a groin problem and has been left out of the squad. We could, however, see Xabi Alonso and Djibril Cisse, both just recovering from injuries, make cameo appearances should Liverpool require something extra.
The Milan derby was halted with 19 minutes remaining when Milan keeper Dida was struck in the shoulder by one of many flares thrown by Inter fans. Milan had been leading 1-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate, so they will likely move on to the semis regardless of UEFA's decision today on whether to replay the second leg, finish the 19 minutes, or abandon the match outright. Shame on them flare-throwers who continued their antics despite pleas from their own players.
A final thought on Liverpool, whose tenacious display against Everton kept their hopes of snatching 4th place in the Premiership alive and also impressed yours truly. The tough tackling in midfield and the quick pace in attack that are lacking from Manchester United can be found in abundance in the Liverpool side led by Gerrard, who epitomises both qualities with his battling midfield work and visionary passing. The sheer pace of Milan Baros stretches and pulls defences, and scoring from outside the box is an eventuality when you have Gerrard, Dietmar Hamann, and John-Arne Riise in the side. Harry Kewell and Luis Garcia use their quick feet to maximum effect on the wings, while Real Madrid outcast Fernando Morientes provides a target man for crosses and long balls. Even from freekicks, one would rather bet on Gerrard, Hamann, or Riise to score than Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Wayne Rooney.
Simply put, apart from the rambunctious Rooney, I'd much rather watch Liverpool than United at the moment.
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