IPL - II gets underway...!!

Cricket's biggest and grandest contest, the Indian Premier League gets underway with the first match between Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings at 2pm Indian Standard Time....

Also, last year's winners, the Rajasthan Royals get ready to defend their title with their first match against the Bangalore royal challengers in the second match today...

The IPL -II promises to be exciting with a host of new signings by team looking forward to prove a point and one can also look forward to some raw talent stored in the arsenal of the teams...

Among the major signings are England's Kevin Peitersen (Bangalore Royal Challengers) , Fred Flintoff (Chennai Super Kings) , J Dumminy (Mumbai Indians) to name a few...

One can really look forward to some exciting cricket being played over the next 40 days with the previously hired players trying to justify their places in the respective sides while the new signings trying to prove their worth...

Man City 2-1 Hamburg (3-4).. Brave ManCity out of UEFA ...

Micah Richards missed a late chance as City tried to take the tie into extra-time

Manchester City won a pulsating Uefa Cup quarter-final second leg against Hamburg but crashed out of the competition 4-3 on aggregate.

Hamburg took an early lead when Paolo Guerrero beat Shay Given from 12 yards.

Elano equalised from the spot for City, while the Brazilian twice hit the woodwork with brilliant free-kicks.

Felipe Caicedo, who later missed from close range, put City in front with a neat finish before Richard Dunne was sent off as Hamburg held on.

City were dealt a blow before the game had even begun with the news that winger Shaun Wright-Phillips had failed a late fitness test on his ankle.

Needing two goals to advance, having lost the first leg 3-1, City started the game at a frantic pace and, roared on by ferocious support, almost scored an early goal through defender Micah Richards.

But having been played in by Elano, Richards lost his footing and his shot was comfortably gathered by keeper Frank Rost.

As City pressed forward they were vulnerable on the counter-attack and Hamburg made the task even harder for Mark Hughes' side with a 10th-minute goal.

Jonathan Pitroipa, who had begun the game well, found space on the right wing and his low cross was not dealt with by Dunne, the ball eventually finding its way to Guerrero who fired low past Given.

It meant that City now needed three goals just to force extra-time and they went some way to achieving that task with a 15th-minute equaliser.

It came from the penalty spot through Elano after his 20-yard effort had been handled by Piotr Trochowski. It looked a harsh decision with the Hamburg man knowing very little about the shot.

Trochowski then had two half-chances in quick succession, with Hamburg looking comfortable and composed on the ball.

City played with intensity and pace though, with Stephen Ireland and Caicedo having chances of their own, but the closest they came to taking the lead was on the stroke of half-time when Elano crashed a thunderous free-kick against the crossbar after Robinho had been fouled.

Five minutes after the restart, City reduced the aggregate deficit further with Caicedo making it 2-1 on the night.

The impressive Ireland provided the pass but Caicedo made the goal when he received the ball on the edge of the area and stepped inside his marker, showing neat footwork before firing low past Rost from 12 yards.

The goal spurred City on further as the Hamburg defence looked increasingly nervous and vulnerable.

And just five minutes later City were almost level when Elano smashed the ball against the post from another free-kick.

From the resulting corner Rost fumbled into the path of Caicedo but he fired over from just five yards out with the goal at his mercy.

On the hour, Hamburg had Rost to thank for keeping the score at 2-1, saving brilliantly from Robinho's close-range volley.

Minutes later Caicedo, who was giving the Hamburg defence a torrid evening, had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside as City edged closer to a crucial third goal.

Robinho went close with a near-post header with 25 minutes remaining as the Hamburg defence dropped deeper.

Manchester City's task was made harder with the sending off of Dunne, who was given his marching orders for two bookable offences.

City's captain was a persistent offender throughout the game and could have no complaints, having been booked early in the first half.

With a man advantage Hamburg's Dennis Aogo forced a fine low save from Given as City looked to reorganise themselves following Dunne's departure.

Seven minutes remained when Given saved well with his feet from Ivica Olic's close-range shot, and Richards then had a brilliant opportunity to send the tie into extra-time but he fired a volley high over Rost's goal.

In the final minutes, substitute Daniel Sturridge fired a shot into the side-netting and Hamburg held on to set up a semi-final with fellow Germans Werder Bremen.

---

Man City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Bridge, Zabaleta (Fernandes 77), Kompany, Ireland, Elano (Sturridge 84), Robinho, Caicedo.
Subs Not Used: Hart, Garrido, Petrov, Evans, Logan.

Sent Off: Dunne (75).

Booked: Dunne, Kompany.

Goals: Elano 17 pen, Caicedo 50.

Hamburg: Rost, Boateng, Gravgaard, Mathijsen, Jansen, Pitroipa, Jarolim, Aogo, Trochowski (Petric 73), Guerrero, Olic.
Subs Not Used: Hesl, Da Silva, Ndjeng, Rincon, Schulz, Torun.

Goals: Guerrero 12.

Att: 47,009

Ref: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy).

Arsenal 3-0 Villarreal (agg 4-1)

Walcott scored Arsenal's first and was the inspiration behind their victory

Arsenal produced a dominant attacking display to beat 10-man Villarreal and set up a Champions League semi-final showdown with Manchester United.

Theo Walcott scored the first goal, collecting a Cesc Fabregas flick before running clear and chipping in.

Emmanuel Adebayor put the hosts firmly in charge, producing a neat finish with the outside of his right foot.

Sebastian Eguren was then sent off for disputing an Arsenal penalty that Robin van Persie scored to seal the victory.

In 2006 Arsenal faced Villarreal in a Champions League semi-final and after securing a 1-0 first-leg advantage would have paid for their defensive approach to the second leg had Jens Lehmann not saved Juan Roman Riquelme's last minute penalty.

Partly due to this chastening experience, and partly because of the loss of a number of key defenders through injury, Arsene Wenger decided attack was the most efficient form of defence.

From the off Arsenal bit into tackles, were the first to loose balls and at every opportunity sought to release the superb Walcott down the right.

Every time the England winger received the ball he threatened to embarrass the Villarreal defence, in particular his marker - the Spanish international full-back Joan Capdevila.

It was a break from Walcott that created the Gunners' first chance.

His initial cross evaded Van Persie in the box but Fabregas was able to collect on the opposite wing and find the Dutch striker with a cross, which he headed over the bar.

Walcott's next contribution to the game was even more significant.

Emmanuel Eboue's forward pass was flicked on by Fabregas into the path of Walcott, who bore down on goal and lured out Villarreal keeper Diego Lopez before exquisitely chipping the ball over him to reward his side's initial endeavour.

For all the talk of Arsenal's defensive fallibility in the absence of William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Manuel Almunia and Gael Clichy, it was the Spaniards who were vulnerable.

It would be simplistic to blame the absence of influential midfielder Marcos Senna from the Villarreal side when so many of his team-mates' performances were lacking.

In one incident Gonzalo Rodriguez twice plunged his side into trouble.

His needless foul on Adebayor on the edge of the box gave Van Persie the chance to strike a free-kick that Lopez could not hold and Adebayor's follow-up header was almost knocked over the line by the defender before he finally cleared.

The start to the second half was not quite as frenetic as the first but this did not prevent Arsenal from seizing their opportunity to take firm control of the tie.

Van Persie picked up the ball in the Villarreal half and drove forward before neatly playing in Adebayor whose finish, with the outside of his right foot, was too good for Lopez.

Arsenal's control of the tie was converted into certain qualification nine minutes later.

Walcott dribbled into the box from the right and drew a rash challenge from Diego Godin, prompting the referee to point to the spot.

The Villarreal players protested vociferously, pointing out that the linesman had not signalled for a penalty.

Referee Wolfgang Stark took exception and brandished a second yellow card to Eguren, resulting in his dismissal.

Unperturbed by the raised emotions of the opposition, Van Persie strode up and fired in the penalty to the left of Lopez.

All three goalscorers were substituted soon after and rightly received a standing ovation.

Two of the replacements - Nicklas Bendtner and Abou Diaby - combined late on to almost score the Gunners' fourth but the latter flashed his shot across goal after being fed by the former.

---

Arsenal: Fabianski, Eboue, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Walcott (Denilson 77), Song Billong, Fabregas, Nasri, Adebayor (Bendtner 83), Van Persie (Diaby 77).
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Eduardo, Vela, Ramsey.

Booked: Silvestre, Gibbs.

Goals: Walcott 10, Adebayor 60, Van Persie 69 pen.

Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Angel, Rodriguez, Godin, Capdevila, Cani (Pablo 70), Eguren, Bruno (Nihat 64), Fernandez (Ibagaza 64), Pires, Rossi.
Subs Not Used: Viera, Llorente, Javi Venta, Fuentes.

Sent Off: Eguren (68).

Booked: Eguren, Cani, Godin.

Agg (4-1)

Att: 58,233

Ref: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).

Manchester United beat FC Porto at home..!!

FC Porto 0-1 Man Utd (agg 2-3)

Ronaldo's second Champions League goal of the season was spectacular

Cristiano Ronaldo struck a stunning winner as Manchester United saw off the threat of Porto to seal a Champions League semi-final tie against Arsenal.

Ronaldo's thunderous early strike from just shy of 40 yards flew across goal and into the top corner.

Nemanja Vidic missed a great chance from five yards late in the first half and Dimitar Berbatov had a shot saved.

Lisandro Lopez might have scored a dramatic late goal for Porto, but Edwin van der Sar saved his weak shot.

It was United's first clean sheet since their Champions League victory over Inter Milan on 11 March and it could not have been more timely as United became the first English club to win at Porto in European competition.

With Rio Ferdinand restored to the side after a three-game absence there was an increased assuredness to the United backline and in truth Porto failed to create any clear-cut openings until Lisandro's 85th-minute chance.

However, United's failure to score a decisive second goal ensured a nervous final few minutes to the tie as Porto pushed for the equaliser that would have put them through on the away goals rule.

The first 20 minutes of the match must have been close to perfect for United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who was presiding over his 150th Champions League game.

Wayne Rooney started on the right with Ryan Giggs on the left and Ronaldo supporting Berbatov up front. This formation allowed Ronaldo to occasionally drop deep in search of possession, which he did after six minutes before smashing his amazing goal.

United dominated possession, allowing them to play the game at a steady, controlled tempo, and there were few alarms for Van der Sar, who allowed a free-kick from Bruno Alves to drift wide of his goal.

Porto gradually forced their way into the match, slowly pushing United towards their own goal, and Van der Sar was eventually forced into action to save Christian Sapanuru's shot on the turn while Bruno Alves headed wide from a free-kick.

The home team lost momentum when Lucho Gonzalez was stretchered off the field after a delay while he received treatment and United went on to create a brilliant chance to take full control of the match.

John O'Shea flicked on Giggs's corner and the ball dropped invitingly to the unmarked Vidic but the defender's effort flew wastefully over the crossbar.

Raul Meireles and Hulk shot over after the break while Berbatov collected a beautifully weighted pass from Rooney but his subsequent shot lacked power and Helton saved.

By this stage it was pouring down in Porto but Van der Sar made no mistake with a Hulk free-kick, while Rolando headed wide beyond the far post for the home side.

The visitors continued to press and the match became increasingly tense as United dropped deeper and deeper.

But it was United, who play Everton in an FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, who went close to a second goal, with Helton making a good low save to claw away Ronaldo's shot.

---

FC Porto: Helton, Sapunaru (Costa 80), Rolando, Bruno Alves, Cissokho, Lucho Gonzalez (Mariano Gonzalez 31), Fernando, Raul Meireles, Lopez, Hulk, Rodriguez (Farias 64).
Subs Not Used: Nuno, Stepanov, Guarin, Madrid.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs, Carrick, Anderson (Scholes 78), Rooney, Berbatov (Nani 68), Ronaldo.
Subs Not Used: Foster, Neville, Evans, Tevez, Macheda.

Booked: Vidic, Evra.

Goals: Ronaldo 6.

Att: 50,000

Ref: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).

This win makes ManU the first English team to beat FC Porto at home...

Kudos to ManU....

Air France-KLM to cut 3,000 jobs

The airline has been hit by the global slowdown

Air France-KLM has said it plans to cut between 2,500 and 3,000 jobs over the next two years.

Europe's biggest airline will cut jobs by not renewing contracts or replacing retiring employees, the carrier said, avoiding compulsory lay-offs.

The airline has been hit by the global economic slowdown, with passenger traffic down 9.4% in March.

Airline around the world have been hit by falling demand for flights as the global downturn takes hold.

On Tuesday, Australian airline Qantas Airways cut its full-year profit forecast by more than half and said it would have to make job cuts in order survive the economic downturn.

In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority reported last month that passenger numbers at UK airports had fallen last year for the first time in 17 years.

Swiss bank UBS to cut 8,700 jobs

Mr Gruebel told shareholders the outlook remains cautious

Switzerland's biggest bank, UBS, has said it will seek to cut costs by shedding 8,700 jobs by next year.

The news came as the bank announced it had lost about 2bn Swiss francs ($1.75bn; £1.2bn) in the first three months of 2009.

UBS has been one of the biggest banks hit by exposure to the sub-prime loans crisis in the US and ensuing turmoil.

"Unfortunately I am not able, as yet, to offer you any good news," said chief executive Oswald Gruebel.

'Uncertainties'

"Instead I am forced to present you with another round of unsatisfactory performance figures and to announce further drastic measures," he told nearly 5,000 UBS investors attending the bank's annual shareholder meeting.

"Our outlook remains cautious and we face many uncertainties. We have to prepare ourselves for this, even though we are entitled to be very optimistic about the longer-term prospects for our bank," he said.

The bank, which is also being investigated by the US authorities over alleged fraud and tax evasion involving US citizens, said major job cuts were unfortunately unavoidable.

The bank, which employed 76,200 people at the end of March, expects to reduce the number of its employees to about 67,500 in 2010.

The bank is hoping to make savings of 4bn Swiss francs and said the job cuts were "unfortunately unavoidable".

UBS said it will shed 2,500 jobs in Switzerland, and thousands in the US, but did not say how many may be lost in the UK, where it employs 7,000 people.

The job cuts come on top of thousands previously announced and means it will have reduced its workforce by almost a fifth from 83,800 jobs a year ago.

UBS also said that it had seen 7bn Swiss francs of business customers' money leave the bank during the first quarter.

Tax talks

The world financial downturn has already forced UBS to make about $50bn in write-downs and to announce 11,000 job cuts since the middle of 2007.

In late 2008, it transferred billions in toxic debts to a fund owned by the Swiss National Bank to take them off its balance sheet.

Meanwhile, the bank remains embroiled in talks with the US authorities over tax issues.

In February, UBS agreed to pay $780m (£525m) to the US government to settle allegations that it had defrauded US tax authorities.

Barca in C'League semis

Barcelona reached the Champions League semi-finals after drawing their last eight second leg with Bayern Munich to seal a comprehensive aggregate victory.

Facing a 4-0 first-leg deficit, Bayern made a strong start with Luca Toni and Franck Ribery going close early on.

Ribery rounded Victor Valdes to put the hosts ahead after half-time but they did little to extend their lead.

Seydou Keita produced an emphatic first-time finish to level and set up a last-four meeting against Chelsea.

The Premier League side drew 4-4 with Liverpool in the second leg of their tie to go through 7-5 on aggregate.

Barca and Chelsea will meet for the fourth time since 1999-2000, with the first leg at the Nou Camp on Tuesday 28 April and the second at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 6 May.

Josep Guardiola's men will be full of confidence going into that tie after seeing off Bayern so comfortably.

The damage was done six days earlier in Spain and under-pressure Bayern boss Jurgen Klinsmann admitted before the game it would be "unrealistic" to expect his side to progress to the semi-finals.

But the four-time champions began as if intent to do exactly that and, backed by a vociferous home crowd, they attacked Barcelona from the outset.

The orchestrator of Bayern's attacking play was Ribery, the Frenchman coming in from his position on the left to break forward at every opportunity.

But it was Jose Ernesto Sosa on the opposite flank who created the first meaningful chance as he crossed from the right to an unmarked Toni, who failed to connect sufficiently with his header from a glorious position six yards out.

Aware that an early goal was surely necessary if they were to stand any chance, the hosts continued to probe for a breakthrough and Ribery turned Barca captain Carles Puyol inside out before shooting narrowly over the bar.

Bayern had overturned seven of their previous 17 first-leg deficits in Europe's top club competition but all of those were by one goal and a four-goal first-leg deficit has never been overturned in the Champions League.

And their hopes began to fade as Barca weathered the early storm and gradually began to assert their authority.

Despite Guardiola having to watch the game from that stands after being sent off in the first leg, the visitors needed no prompting to impose their slick pass-and-move game on proceedings.
Franck Ribery skips past Daniel Alves
Ribery was the only Bayern player to threaten the Barca defence

Lionel Messi was, predictably, at the heart of their intricate patterns and caused the home defence no shortage of problems with his nimble dribbling and incisive through-balls.

But, apart from a blistering Daniel Alves drive that sailed marginally high and wide, chances were few and far between for Barca and two minutes after half-time they were behind.

Ze Roberto sidestepped Yaya Toure to slide Ribery through on goal and he neatly took the ball past goalkeeper Valdes before coolly slotting it high into the net.

But Klinsmann's men failed to capitalise on their momentum and it was Barca who took the initiative to ensure their would be no late drama.

The impressive Andres Iniesta put Messi through on goal, only for the Argentine to be incorrectly flagged offside when one-on-one with Hans Jorg Butt, and then Samuel Eto'o was denied by Lucio's perfectly timed sliding tackle after Messi's run and cross.

An equaliser seemed inevitable and it arrived when Keita pounced at the end of a mind-boggling 17-pass move, primarily involving Eto'o, Iniesta and Xavi.

Spain midfielder Xavi curled a free-kick inches wide just before the end but by that point Barca's passage into the last four had long since been secured.

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann:
"We reacted well to the defeat in Barcelona. If we had scored early and if we had led 2-0, who knows what would have happened. Maybe they would have lost some confidence.

"We wanted an early goal, then anything could have been possible, but we have lacked the little bit of luck.

"The team gave a good account of themselves against one of the teams who are favourite to take the Champions League title."

Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanov:
"We are very happy to be back in the semi-finals. We still have a lot of time before we have to think about Chelsea but they are a great team. It would not have been an easier game if we had faced Liverpool.

"We played really well in defence and did a good job keeping Ribery and Toni in check.

"We have not reached our goals yet. We have to continue working."

Bayern Munich: Butt, Lell, Lucio, Demichelis, Lahm, Sosa (Altintop 78), Van Bommel, Ottl, Ze Roberto (Borowski 78), Ribery, Toni.
Subs Not Used: Rensing, Van Buyten, Badstuber, Breno.

Booked: Lucio, Demichelis, Borowski, Lell.

Goals: Ribery 47.

Barcelona: Valdes, Dani Alves, Puyol, Pique, Abidal, Xavi, Toure Yaya, Keita, Messi, Eto'o, Iniesta (Hleb 78).
Subs Not Used: Pinto, Caceres, Gudjohnsen, Henry, Sylvinho, Busquets.

Booked: Dani Alves, Puyol.

Goals: Keita 73.

Agg (1-5)

Att: 65,000

Ref: Roberto Rosetti (Italy).

Ferdinand back as United look for the classic night..

PORTO: Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson issued a rallying cry to his team before throwing down the gauntlet to his Porto counterpart ahead of
their crunch Champions League quarter-final battle.

United go into Wednesday's second-leg tie in Porto, where no English team has won in 11 attempts, on the back-foot after only managing a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last Tuesday.

Twice winner of the competition, Ferguson urged his team to draw on classic performances from United's illustrious European past to give them strength when they visit the Dragao Stadium.

"Hopefully the players will realise the opportunity they have tomorrow. It's not as if we are going there without a big chance, we can turn it around," he said on Tuesday.

"We all have to be up for it and we're all going to have to step up to the plate," he warned.

"I trust these players. They deserve it for their big games in Europe over the past three or four years, for their displays in Milan and Barcelona."

"There are plenty of European performances we would like to replicate, we're not short of them. I suppose the one would be Juventus," the Scot said, referring to the 1999 semi-final in Turin when United came from two goals down to win.

The evergreen Paul Scholes and Gary Neville are the two remaining survivors from that epic win and will be available. Ferguson confirmed that defender Rio Ferdinand will start after missing two weeks with a groin injury.

"The experience and quality will obviously make a difference and gives us the Ferdinand, Vidic partnership which has been the cornerstone of great defensive performances this season," Ferguson said of his England centre-back.

Porto dazzled United with their sparkling attacking football at Old Trafford and the former Aberdeen boss is hoping their hosts play the same way in the return leg, knowing an open game is probably his team's best chance.

"It's a pleasure being involved in Europe and tomorrow will be the same," the long-serving boss said. "The atmosphere will be fantastic, and we're playing a good team in a good stadium."

"It'll be a good game but I don't know if it'll be an open game. That depends on Porto," he added.

It seems the United boss will have little to worry about as Porto boss Jesualdo Ferreira, who spoke before Ferguson, scoffed at suggestions his team would try to play out a draw.

"I would never tell a team to play below their capabilities. We have our own identity and we don't know how to play any other way," said Ferreira.

Ferreira played down the significance of Porto's home dominance over English teams but backed his players to extend their proud record.

"Only two or three of these players have played against English teams so history has no bearing on this game," he reasoned.

"There will be over 50,000 people in the stadium tomorrow and I hope not to hear the away supporters.

"The easy way to control emotions is through control of the game, they are together side-by-side. That is what we will do tomorrow," he predicted.

The former Benfica manager claimed that his players were unaffected by their favourites tag and said they were not scared of FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be returning to his homeland.

"Our expectations are exactly the same as they were before the first game, our players know what they have got to do," he said.

"United is probably the best team in the world, but we've played well against Ronaldo, and if he is human, so are the rest."

Liverpool ousted of the Champions League

Chelsea survived a huge scare before drawing one of the most entertaining Champions League games of recent times to seal a 7-5 aggregate win over Liverpool and book a semi-final against Barcelona.

Guus Hiddink's team led 3-1 after the first leg at Anfield but Fabio Aurelio's free-kick after an awful misjudgement from Petr Cech and Xabi Alonso's penalty put Liverpool in control at the break.

Jose Reina fumbled Didier Drogba's deft touch into his own net and Alex's thunderbolt free-kick levelled the scores on the night with two goals in six dramatic second-half minutes.

The inspirational Frank Lampard put the Blues 3-2 ahead, slotting home Drogba's intelligent cross.

The tie looked finished but Liverpool were not done yet and Lucas Leiva's deflected strike was quickly followed by Dirk Kuyt's near-post header.

It was 4-3 to Liverpool with seven minutes of normal time remaining and Stamford Bridge was stunned, while the Reds required just one more goal to complete a sensational victory on away goals.

But Lampard converted Nicolas Anelka's pass to level at 4-4 in the final dramatic action of a truly memorable game of football.

Liverpool were without their skipper Steven Gerrard because of an injury but came close to pulling off a memorable victory without their inspirational leader.

Liverpool gave the hosts an early warning when a delightful touch from Yossi Benayoun after 13 minutes created a clear opening for Fernando Torres, who failed to hit the target with his left-foot strike.

It was a poor miss and Liverpool's slim hopes were almost completely extinguished a minute later but Lampard narrowly missed the target with a free-kick.

Then came the moment that embarrassed Cech and handed Liverpool a lifeline, as Aurelio smashed his free-kick into the bottom corner.

Alex celebrates with Michael Ballack after scoring Chelsea's second

Chelsea had only bothered to put one man in the wall and Cech was so focused on dealing with a floated ball into the congested area that he neglected the possibility of a low shot at goal.

Even so, it was a terrible error as the Czech keeper was caught completely out of position and scrambled across goal in vain.

Buoyed by their goal, Liverpool suddenly found an incisiveness and rhythm to their play, while Chelsea, with suspended skipper John Terry watching from the stands, looked uncharacteristically brittle.

Terry will be back for the semi-final first leg tie against 2006 champions Barcelona at the Nou Camp in two weeks, but left-back Ashley Cole will be absent after picking up a yellow card for a foul on Alvaro Arbeloa.

The Blues defensive unit struggled to cope with the passing and movement of an attacking line that had struggled so manifestly at Anfield eight days earlier.

And the Reds doubled their lead through Alonso's unstoppable penalty after the Spaniard had been fouled by Chelsea's first-leg hero Branislav Ivanovic.

Chelsea boss Hiddink withdrew Salomon Kalou and brought on Anelka after 35 minutes.

And his bold decision was vindicated when the Frenchman's low cross from the right shortly after the restart was deflected by Drogba past Liverpool keeper Reina, who could only parry the ball into his own net.

Drogba was inches away with a free-kick as Chelsea found the attacking menace that had almost completely eluded them in the first-half and it came as no huge surprise when they did draw level, Alex drilling home his long-range free-kick.

Kuyt's goal gave Liverpool renewed hope of a famous result

Liverpool now needed to score twice more but Michael Ballack should have put the result beyond doubt after Drogba broke down the right and picked out the unmarked German with a precise low cross. Ballack, however, shot tamely and Reina dived to his left to save.

Torres, an increasingly marginal figure, went close from distance but it was Chelsea who were in control now and Lampard put his team ahead with a close-range finish from Drogba's cross.

The tie seemed to be dead and buried before Lucas' deflected strike after 81 minutes was quickly followed by Kuyt's bullet header from substitute Albert Riera's cross.

Suddenly it was only the visiting supporters who could be heard but the final goal of a pulsating match fell to Lampard, whose strike went in off both posts.

There was hardly any time remaining but the fragile Cech still managed to fumble a cross that David N'Gog drilled towards goal, forcing a superb headed clearance from Michael Essien.

---

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Kalou (Anelka 36), Ballack, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Drogba (Di Santo 90).
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Mikel, Deco, Belletti, Mancienne.

Booked: Ivanovic, Carvalho, Ashley Cole.

Goals: Drogba 52, Alex 57, Lampard 76, 89.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa (Babel 85), Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Lucas, Mascherano (Riera 69), Alonso, Kuyt, Torres (Ngog 80), Benayoun.
Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Agger.

Booked: Benayoun, Arbeloa.

Goals: Aurelio 19, Alonso 28 pen, Lucas 81, Kuyt 82.

Agg (7-5)

Att: 38,286

Ref: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain).