IF THERE was little to stir the senses here, everyone connected to Liverpool was quick to stress tomorrow night at Anfield would be altogether different.
May 3, 2005, is a date forever inscribed on their hearts.
That was when Jose Mourinho and Chelsea visited for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final and ran into what Steven Gerrard described as “a whole wave of emotion rolling out from 40,000 fanatical Scousers”.
In the Chelsea dressing room they still talk about the fervour of that night. It was, quite simply, one of the most famous in Liverpool’s history.
Fans will always cherish a victory secured by that controversial strike by Luis Garcia. Now, though, the rematch, and Chelsea travel with a 1-0 first-leg advantage and an all-consuming desire not to fall short in their third Champions League semi-final in four seasons.
Their players have waged a remarkable battle on all four fronts, amazing everybody with their appetite and stamina. Mourinho’s men never know when they are beaten. But now they must dig deep yet again and prove to the doubters the well has not run dry. However, the message booming out from Liverpool is that the Kop is ready to inspire a reprise of 2005.
Manager Rafa Benitez looked to kick Mourinho while he was down, getting across, in that understated way of his, that the Portuguese no longer had any margin for error after his disastrous afternoon in the Premiership on Saturday. He warned Mourinho’s players, still reeling from the devastation of Bolton, that they faced the acid test of their strength, on every level.
Benitez said: “The players on the pitch worked really hard [in the 2005 semi-final] but it was the supporters who kept us running and running. I don’t know if it intimidated Chelsea but I know they felt the pressure.
“I would like to see Chelsea under pressure from the start and I’m sure our supporters will try to do that. If Chelsea feel we are going for them and they feel our confidence, I know they will be under pressure. The positive thing is that we didn’t play well at Stamford Bridge but only conceded one goal.”
Portsmouth full-back Djimi Traore played for Liverpool in that semi two years ago and was part of the side that triumphed against AC Milan in the final.
He said: “The atmosphere at Anfield for a big European night is crazy and when I played in that semi-final [against Chelsea], I had never seen anything like it before.
“It will be hard for Liverpool to score twice and turn it round but I think they will win and, of course, I want them to. I went to the first leg at Chelsea [last Wednesday] and I would like to go to the return. It just depends on what the boss says.” Pompey manager Harry Redknapp, though, is more concerned with lobbying owner Alexandre Gaydamak for a sizeable summer transfer kitty.
It was difficult to read too much into Saturday, as Benitez made seven changes.
Portsmouth punished shoddy defending to set up their deserved victory as goals from Benjani and Niko Kranjcar put them clear before Sami Hyypia reduced the arrears.
PORTSMOUTH 2 LIVERPOOL 1
PORTSMOUTH (4-4-2): James 6; Johnson 6, Primus 8, Stefanovic 7, Traore 7; Lauren 6, O’Neil 8, Hughes 7, Taylor 6 (Kranjcar 21, 7); Benjani 8 (Davis 90), Kanu 6 (LuaLua 71, 6). Booked: Hughes. Goals: Benjani 27, Kranjcar 32.
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