Mourinho starts the mind games

By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Champions League photos Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool Chelsea match reaction Liverpool match reaction

Jose Mourinho's mind games started almost instantly after Liverpool held Chelsea to a frustrating draw in the Champions League semi-final.

If Mourinho was frustrated at Chelsea's inability to break Liverpool's stubborn resistance, it did not show during a typically bold statement of intent.

He predicted Chelsea would progress into the final in Istanbul, but there is little doubt it is advantage Liverpool and Rafa Benitez after a tense and tight first game at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool will point to the fact that they simply need victory in front of a fervent Anfield crowd next Tuesday.

But Mourinho's confidence may not be misplaced, with Liverpool needing to break away from the containing game that served them so well at Stamford Bridge.

Gaps may be greater for Chelsea at Anfield than they were on home territory - the main cause of Mourinho's upbeat message.

And Mourinho has already underscored Chelsea's ability to score the crucial away goal that could prove so vital.

Alonso will be sorely missed by Liverpool

It all points to yet another tactical battle between Mourinho and Benitez, with Liverpool's manager needing to strike the delicate balance between the high-tempo game that unsettled Juventus and not conceding that potentially priceless goal.

Benitez once again got his game plan spot on, building a strong foundation in defence - around the magnificent Jamie Carragher - while retaining the ball to frustrate Chelsea's attacking intent.

The success of the ploy was most obvious in how the dangerous Arjen Robben was virtually starved of possession when arriving as a substitute for the final half-hour.

The loss of Damien Duff robbed Chelsea of the pace that might have tested Liverpool's rearguard, and the champions-elect were more wasteful in possession than they have been on their march to the Premiership.

Chelsea, despite a display lacking their usual fluency, can point to glaring misses from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard during their best spell in the opening 20 minutes.

Lampard missed a glorious opportunity for Chelsea

But Liverpool were not the team that has failed so often on their Premiership travels. This was the Liverpool that has proved so formidable in the Champions League and Chelsea could not break them.

Liverpool will rue their failure to get the away goal that would bolster their confidence, denied only by a stunning world-class save from Petr Cech from Milan Baros.

And they will also point to a poor decision from French referee Alain Sars, who booked Xabi Alonso for minimal contact with Eidur Gudjohnsen, a yellow card that rules him out of the second leg.

Alonso holds it all together for Liverpool, allowing Steven Gerrard to forage forward, and the influential Spanish international will be sorely missed.

Chelsea must hope either Duff is fit, or Drogba finally starts to show what exactly persuaded Mourinho to pay £24m for the striker.

For Liverpool, their unlikely Champions League adventure continues and they will start as slight favourites.

Liverpool need to win one game on home turf to reach the Champions League final - a state of affairs Benitez and The Kop would have happily accepted when their journey started in the qualifying round in Austria.

But Mourinho's track record hints at an ability to get crucial results away from home - now he needs one to keep hold of the trophy he holds so proudly.