Ahead of their all-English Champions League semifinal, Chelsea manager
Avram Grant says Didier Drogba needs more protection from referees whilst
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez claims the Ivorian striker falls down too
easily.
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 29, 2008)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez accused Chelsea striker Didier
Drogba of going down too easily at a news conference at Stamford Bridge on
Tuesday (April 29).
"The first thing is Drogba is a fantastic player, that is clear
but he fell down too easy." Benitez told reporters.
Chelsea manager Avram Grant defended his player arguing that Drogba
deserved more protection from referees.
"I think that because he is a powerful player the referee needs
to whistle for him more than here. If you take the game against Liverpool when
you see what (Jamie) Carragher and the other defender did to him, I think if
you look at it very carefully you think that the referee was very polite to
them." Grant said.
Liverpool may have the tradition and five European Cups to their name
but John Arne Riise's own goal deep into stoppage time in the first leg at
Anfield last Tuesday handed Chelsea a priceless away goal and a 1-1 draw.
Liverpool and Chelsea, meeting in their third Champions League
semi-final in four seasons, will be facing each other for the 20th time in all
competitions in that period.
The Anfield club won both previous semis in 2005 and 2007 but Chelsea
will be in good spirits after their battling 2-1 win over Manchester United in
the Premier League on Saturday (April 26) kept alive their hopes of a double.
"On Saturday we wanted to show that we play like champions, we
wanted to do it. But this is another game a Champions League semi- final, one
game to the end, we want to do it." Grant told reporters.
Benitez accepted that Chelsea had deserved to win their game against
Manchester United but added that the Champions League was a totally different
competition.
Chelsea are likely to have Frank Lampard back in the squad after the
England midfielder missed the United match following the death of his mother
two days previously.
Lampard took part in training at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday (April 29)
but even if he declares himself ready to return, Grant might be tempted to
retain the midfielders who performed so well against United, led by two-goal
German Michael Ballack.
The chelsea manager told reporters that a decision on Lampard would be
made following the team's final training session.
"We always take the decisions after the last training, because as
you know at Chelsea some times we have injuries in the last training, so we
will wait and we will see after the training."
Chelsea start as favourites to reach the final for the first time and
as long as Grant's men stop Liverpool from finding the net they will face
Manchester United in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on May 21.
United secured their place in the the final with a 1-0 victory over
Barcelona at Old Trafford on Tuesday (April 29) night.
Liverpool are a tougher proposition in Europe than in domestic matches
and Benitez will take a rested squad to London, having made nine changes from
the side that played Chelsea last week for Saturday's 2-2 Premier League draw
at Birmingham City.
"Everybody knows the history of the club and everybody knows the
last three years how important were these games and the results. So I think as
I said before we have confidence and we don't need to talk to much about this
because we know this." Benitez told reporters.
Fernando Torres, who has scored 30 goals in 43 matches since joining
Liverpool at the start of the season, poses the biggest danger while Steven
Gerrard will look to add to the 21 he has netted from midfield.
But as long as the hosts do not concede a goal Chelsea will be bound
for Moscow, a thought to delight their billionaire Russian owner Roman
Abramovich.
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