blog.great-save.com

By Danny Wright

Chelsea left Anfield with the upper hand in the Champions League semi-final - thanks to Liverpool’s John Arne Riise. The flame haired Norwegian nodded into his net in injury time to level the game up at 1-1, giving Avram Grant’s men a crucial away goal. Liverpool dominated throughout and the advantage presented to Chelsea is scarcely deserved, although under pressure Grant and his men won’t mind too much.

The Reds took the lead through Dirk Kuyt, the Dutchman shrugging off a weak Claude Makele challenge to stab through Petr Cech’s legs, this after the Chelsea stopper had foiled Fernando Torres, who should have scored. Cech then saved supebly from Steven Gerrard to keep his side in it before Riise headed Solomon Kalou’s cross past his own keeper. 

There was another unlikely villain on show at the Nou Camp, with Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo fluffing a glorious chance to given his side a huge advantage going into the second leg. The game itself, against Barcelona, finished 0-0 in a turgid affair, but when Gabriel Milito needlessly handled after two minutes, United saw one foot in the final; Ronaldo stepped up and blazed his kick high and wide. The hosts looked the more threatening through-out whilst not really creating, and so the sides go into the game at Old Trafford on level pegging.

Elsewhere, Wolves gave their play-off hopes a huge boost with a 3-0 win over Cardiff, meanwhile Hereford condemned Wrexham to non-league football after a 2-0 win at Edgar Street. In other business, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has signed two sponsorship deals worth upto £25m, according to the Daily Express, and The Sun reports West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green is to be offered a new deal worth £40,000 a week.