Final, 1-1: It’s all over at Anfield. The game ends in a draw.
Liverpool passed its first real test of 2015 with flying colors. Liverpool dominated Chelsea for long stretches of both halves and muzzled the Blues’ vaunted attack. The Reds will be disappointed not to have won the game, but they can take solace in outplaying England’s strongest team in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semifinal.
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The teams will meet again next Tuesday in the second leg of the Capital One Cup semifinal.
That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
Postgame analysis of Liverpool-Chelsea >>
90th minute +2, 1-1: Sterling lofts a cross into Chelsea’s goal-mouth, but Courtois snatches it out of the air.
90th minute, 1-1: Sterling drags a shot wide of Courtois’ goal.
90th minute, 1-1: There will be a minimum of two minutes of added time in the second half.
Liverpool still has Chelsea pinned back in its own half as it searches for the game-winning goal.
88th minute, 1-1: Chelsea makes its first substitution, replacing Willian with Azpilicueta.
83rd minute, 1-1: Coutinho cuts inside and shoots from distance, but it flies harmlessly out of play.
80th minute, 1-1: Sterling pounces on a loose ball inside Chelsea’s penalty area, turns and shoots from a tight angle, but his effort misses the target.
79th minute, 1-1: Lallana hits a powerful, swerving shot on the half-volley from 20 yards out, but Courtois stops it with a diving save to his right.
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75th minute, 1-1: Courtois denies Henderson and Sterling with a fine double-save.
74th minute, 1-1: Mikel is cautioned for a foul on Moreno.
73rd minute, 1-1: Skrtel heads Henderson’s free kick over the Chelsea goal.
70th minute, 1-1: Gerrard departs, as Liverpool makes its first substitution. Lallana replaces Gerrard.
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67th minute, 1-1: Coutinho shoots low and hard from 25 yards out, but Courtois saves it, and Luis sweeps it away.
67th minute, 1-1: Gerrard hits the post with a delicate, left-footed shot, as Liverpool almost takes the lead in this Capital One Cup semifinal.
Coutinho created the opening with a dribble on the left. The Brazilian then passed to Gerrard near the penalty spot.
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63rd minute, 1-1: Hazard dribbles into toward Liverpool’s penalty area and works a give-and-go with Fabregas. Hazard nearly recovers possession just a few yards from Liverpool’s goal, but Skrtel ends the danger with a hard tackle.
59th minute, 1-1: Sterling strikes, and Liverpool has tied the game.
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Sterling did it all himself, receiving the pass, escaping Matic on the turn, racing forward and slotting his shot past Courtois. It’s one of the great goals of Sterling’s nascent career.
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54th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Coutinho dinks a pass to Sterling inside Chelsea’s penalty area. Sterling tries to shoot, but Cahill blocks it clear.
It’s the same old story in the opening minutes of the second half. Liverpool has the possession, but Chelsea holds its nerve.
46th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Costa nearly breaks free on goal after Fabregas’ dummy freezes Liverpool’s back line, but Mignolet leaves his goal line, reaches the ball before the Chelsea striker and kicks it all the way into the Blues’ third.
46th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: The second half is underway.
Halftime, 1-0 Chelsea: That’s the end of the first half. The Reds trail in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semifinal.
The first half came and went at break-neck speed, as Chelsea struck first and took the lead into the interval. Liverpool attacked at a fast tempo and played with admirable style but was unable to unlock one of world soccer’s best defenses.
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Can’s sloppy moment in defense cost the Reds dearly. Hazard turned Can’s clumsy tackle into a penalty kick, then coolly beat Mignolet from the spot.
The game was competitive from the start, but it took a heated turn. The referee cautioned three players in the six minutes before halftime in an effort to prevent an honest contest from turning into a pitched battle.
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45th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Lucas sends Sterling in behind the defense, but Courtois races off his line and intercepts the pass.
45th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Luis is cautioned for elbowing Markovic in the face.
44th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Now Lucas is cautioned for a foul on Hazard in the midfield.
43rd minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Coutinho’s long-range shot takes a deflection and goes out for a corner kick.
40th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: The game continues in the same high-tempo, fiery vein in which it has unfolded so far. Chelsea is ceding possession and territory to the Reds but winning each individual duel in its own third of the field. Chelsea also has created a couple of dangerous moments on the counter-attack, but Hazard’s goal remains its only shot.
39th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Gerrard is cautioned for a foul on Hazard.
31st minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Courtois punches Gerrard’s free kick clear.
30th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: The Reds trail, but the first half-hour of the game was ultra-competitive.
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26th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Skrtel heads Coutinho’s corner kick wide of the goal. He’ll be disappointed not to have hit the target with a free header.
22nd minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Hazard scored against the run of play, and Liverpool has re-assumed control of proceedings. The Reds are working the ball into Chelsea’s half with few problems but struggle to unlock the visitors’ defense.
18th minute, 1-0 Chelsea: Hazard slots his shot past Mignolet. The Blues take the lead in the first half.
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17th minute, 0-0: It’s a penalty for Chelsea. Hazard rounds Can first. The Liverpool defender recovers but trips Hazard inside the Reds’ penalty area.
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16th minute, 0-0: Gerrard hits a powerful, dipping shot from 35 yards out, but Courtois parries it over the crossbar.
14th minute, 0-0: Liverpool creates the first two openings.
Coutinho nearly sends Sterling in on goal, but Terry gets a toe on the pass, and it rolls to Courtois.
Two minutes prior, Cahill deflected Henderson’s shot out for a corner kick.
10th minute, 0-0: The game remains bogged down in the midfield, as the teams choose caution over reckless abandon.
Fourth minute, 0-0: Liverpool has dominated possession early on, passing the ball around the back line and through the midfield with few problems. However, Chelsea’s well-organized defense has thwarted the Reds when they carry play into the Blues’ third of the field.
Kickoff: The Capital One Cup semfinal between Liverpool and Chelsea is underway at Anfield.
Pregame: Liverpool starts something resembling its strongest unit against Chelsea.
Gerrard returns from a hamstring injury to start in one of the advanced positions.
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The Liverpool captain joins Sterling and Coutinho in the Reds’ three-pronged front line. Borini and Lambert, the goal-scoring heroes in Saturday’s win over Aston Villa, drop to the bench.
Liverpool’s back three remains unchanged, as does its versatile, four-man midfield.
Chelsea’s lineup is familiar to Premier League fans, as Mourinho persists with the group, which has led the Blues to the top of the standings. Mourinho’s decision to play his regulars is surprising.
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Chelsea captain Terry is making a milestone appearance.
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The Reds haven’t beaten the Blues in some time.
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2:15 p.m.: Here are the lineups:
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet (22), goalkeeper
Emre Can (23), center back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Mamadou Sakho (17), center back
Alberto Moreno (18), left wing-back
Lazar Markovic (50), right wing-back
Lucas Leiva (21), midfielder
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Steven Gerrard (8), forward
Philippe Coutinho (8), forward
Raheem Sterling (31), striker
Substitutes
Danny Ward (52), goalkeeper
Jose Enrique (3), defender
Javier Manquillo (19), defender
Adam Lallana (20), midfielder
Jordan Rossiter (46), midfielder
Rickie Lambert (9), striker
Fabio Borini (29), striker
Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois (13), goalkeeper
Filipe Luis (3), left back
John Terry (26), center back
Gary Cahill (24), center back
Branislav Ivanovic (2), right back
Namanja Matic (21), midfielder
John Obi Mikel (12), midfielder
Cesc Fabregas (4), midfielder
Eden Hazard (10), forward
Willian (22), forward
Diego Costa (19), striker
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Substitutes
Petr Cech (1), goalkeeper
Kurt Zouma (5), defender
Cesar Azpilicueta (28), defender
Ramires (7), midfielder
Oscar (8), midfielder
Loic Remy (18), striker
Didier Drogba (11), striker
Noon ET: Liverpool is closing in on one of its primary targets for the 2014-15 season. Chelsea is standing in Liverpool’s way.
Liverpool and Chelsea meet Tuesday at Anfield in the first leg of their Capital One Cup (Football League Cup) semifinal series. The Reds and the Blues are old foes, and Tuesday’s game will stoke their rivalry, which has simmered, stewed and even boiled over in the last decade.
Brendan Rodgers navigated the Reds through their early season struggles and positioned them to challenge for their first trophy of his tenure as Liverpool manager. However, Rodgers must outwit former boss and current Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho if the Reds are to book a trip to Wembley Stadium for the final.
Under Mourinho’s leadership, Chelsea has emerged as England’s best team this season. The Blues top the Premier League standings after 22 games and are still alive in the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and the Capital One Cup.
Rodgers wants the Reds and the Anfield crowd to strike a decisive blow to Chelsea’s hopes of winning the Capital One Cup and a historic quadruple. Liverpool must rise to the occasion, as Chelsea will provide the sternest of tests to the Reds’ ongoing revival.
Liverpool-Chelsea kicks off at 2:45 p.m. Join us right here for all the action from Anfield.
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Photo via LiverpoolFC.com
