JOHN TERRY had to walk past Liverpool's European Cup as he strode into Anfield's trophy room last night, but if the sight induced a pang of regret, he has recognised how a redemption of sorts can be achieved, writes DOMINIC FIFIELD
“That burning disappointment I suffered last May will live with me forever,” the Chelsea captain said. “But the one way I can make that pain ease a little bit is to win that trophy.”
The centre-half, like his team, is attempting to make amends for the penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United in Moscow. Terry had the chance to secure the club’s first European Cup only to skew his decisive penalty wide.
The 23rd meeting between the Londoners and Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool brings together two teams laced with confidence from their pursuit of Manchester United in the Premier League and each craving the distraction of an end-of-season showpiece in Rome.
Chelsea once wilted at Anfield on European nights, battered into submission by the wall of noise generated by the Kop. Tonight they run out bolstered by the draw they achieved in the first leg of last year’s semi-final, when John Arne Riise’s injury-time own goal provided the springboard for progress to the final.
There was some superstition evident last night. Terry fronted the media, as he did last year, and the team stayed in the same hotel.
Yet despite losing at Anfield in the Premier League in February, the sense from Chelsea is that a curse has already been lifted.
“Their fans will play a big part, but we’ve learnt to deal with that,” Terry said. “It was intimidating coming up against them the first few times at the biggest stages of competitions, but we know what to expect now. That hoodoo was broken last year.
“So we know what to expect and we know how to do the business. A score draw here would be a good result, though we’re not coming to sit back. We’re a stronger team now than we were when we came here a few months back [under Luiz Felipe Scolari]. We’re in as good form now as anyone, and if we can keep Liverpool at bay at our end, we’ll be a big threat at theirs. The away goal can be crucial.”
That much is backed up by statistics. Since the European Cup was rejigged, an away team has scored in the first leg on 81 occasions, with 59 of them going through. The return of Didier Drogba from an ankle complaint offers Chelsea an opportunity to extend that trend, even if they must be wary of Liverpool’s pace, power and invention up front. Terry, like Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka, is one booking away from a suspension.
The loss of Jose Bosingwa to a hamstring strain will necessitate Branislav Ivanovic’s involvement at right-back, and may lead Hiddink to ask Michael Essien, most likely, or Mikel John Obi to track Steven Gerrard. It will be up to Terry and Ricardo Carvalho to snuff out Fernando Torres.
“They’re up there with the very best in the world,” said Terry of Gerrard and Torres.
“Stevie links up well with their midfield and bombs forward but, if you focus too much on him, Torres will do the damage.
“We know what we must do. I’m very determined to go the extra step this year and win the trophy . . . My personal memories of the penalty shoot-out will never go away, but it’s about how we play now as a team. We know we can go on and do great things in this competition.”
Guardian Service
