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Drogba, Chelsea break Liverpool jinx

Wed 30th, April 2008

London, England (Sports Network) - Didier Drogba scored two goals to help Chelsea advance to its first ever Champions League final as the Blues beat Liverpool, 3-2 in extra time to advance 4-3 on aggregate.

Frank Lampard converted a penalty kick in extra time to break a 1-1 tie after Chelsea had a goal called back, and Drogba scored the second of his two goals seven minutes later before Ryan Babel scored a late goal to pull Liverpool to within one.

Drogba scored 33 minutes into the game but Liverpool forced extra time after Fernando Torres tallied midway through the second half.

Liverpool was attempting to reach its third Champions League final in four years, and the Reds had the added advantage of having knocked Chelsea out in the semifinals in two of the last three years.

However, Chelsea put an end to Liverpool's hold on them in European play by slipping past the Reds and into the final where they will play another familiar foe, Manchester United, on May 21 in Moscow.

Chelsea came out strong in the first half and put Liverpool back on its heels with a strong offensive attack.

Drogba decided to test Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina with a shot from 30 yards early in the game that skipped off the wet grass and forced a diving save.

The visitors only good chance in the opening half came minutes later when Steven Gerrard slipped a pass inside the area to Torres, however the Spaniard touched it too far wide, leaving himself a tight angle that Chelsea keeper Petr Cech cut down and smothered.

The half was played at a much better pace than most anticipated, with Chelsea getting another good look at goal in the 19th minute. Lampard played Drogba into the box on the left, but the striker rolled a left-footed shot past the far post.

Michael Essien and Michael Ballack both tested Reina with hard shots from outside the area before the Blues broke through in the 33rd minute.

Lampard once again played a good pass into space, this time for Salomon Kalou, and he dribbled the ball into the box and cut back on defender Sami Hyypia. Kalou fired a shot towards the far post, but Reina got a hand to the ball. However, Drogba was left open at the back post and drove a low shot into the bottom corner to put Chelsea ahead.

Ballack came within inches of putting Chelsea up two goals before halftime when he curled a free kick from 20 yards just wide of the top left corner.

Liverpool created an opening early in the second half when Gerrard nodded down a ball for Dirk Kuyt inside the box and his redirected effort was turned away by the foot of Cech.

Liverpool needed a spark to get themselves back into the game and they got one when Yossi Benayoun weaved his way to the top of the box and dropped the ball off for Torres, who turned and drove the ball inside the right post to level the match.

The final 25 minutes of normal time was played at a measure pace, and both teams braced for extra time.

Chelsea thought they had taken the lead minutes into extra time when Essien smacked a shot past Reina from the top of the box, but the goal was called back because Drogba was sitting in an offside position right in front of Reina.

The Stamford Bridge crowd was disappointed, but they were soon back in full throat when Ballack drew a foul inside the box on Hyypia and referee Roberto Rosetti pointed to the spot.

Lampard sent Reina the wrong way and fired into the bottom right corner, but Chelsea did not let off and added a second goal seven minutes later. Nicolas Anelka played provider on Drogba's second goal as he dashed past a defender on the right and slipped the ball to the Ivorian inside the box. Drogba then ripped it past Reina with a first-time strike and Chelsea was in command.

Babel's blast from 35 yards skimmed off the fingertips of Cech and found the top corner, but Liverpool was unable to muster any last-second heroics.