LONDON, 29 April 2005 — Chelsea stumbled on the path to next month’s Champions League final when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Liverpool in an uncompromising first leg of their semifinal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The English champions-elect could find no way through a superbly-marshaled Liverpool defense in the first all-English semifinal in the competition’s history as players from 18 different countries — either on the pitch or the bench — were absorbed in an end-to-end deadlock.
Liverpool, who drew 0-0 at Juventus in the quarterfinals to reach the last four 2-1 on aggregate, employed the same defensive approach with a stifling five-man midfield as Jose Mourinho’s jaded-looking team failed to beat Liverpool for the first time in four meetings this season. Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool will now start next Tuesday’s second leg at Anfield as slight favorites to meet either AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven in Istanbul on May 25. Milan beat Eindhoven 2-0 in their first leg on Tuesday.
There were very few scoring chances in the second half as Chelsea, trying to reach the final for the first time, continually came up against the outstanding Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher at the heart of the Liverpool defense.
The visitors limited their forays to occasional bursts forward and substitute Djibril Cisse had their only real scoring chance in the second period but fired into the side netting after 68 minutes, two minutes after replacing Milan Baros.
Boro Happier With Point After 0-0 Newcastle Draw
In London, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough failed to rise to the occasion as the north-east rivals played out a tame goalless Premier League draw at St. James’ Park on Wednesday.
Newcastle went into the game having lost their last five games — in the league, UEFA Cup and FA Cup — in two terrible weeks and there appeared little motivation in the team whose season has imploded. Middlesbrough were only slightly more positive, though the point strengthened their grip on seventh place, which should be enough for a return to the UEFA Cup after they made their European debut this season. Boro have 50 points, four adrift of sixth-placed Bolton Wanderers but two ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who they play on May 7 and three clear of Aston Villa, with all four clubs having three games left.
Boca Crush Cristal to Qualify in Libertadores
Rio de Janeiro, five-time champions Boca Juniors qualified for the last sixteen of the Libertadores Cup as they crushed Peru’s Sporting Cristal 3-0 away on Wednesday.
Argentina’s most popular team scored all their goals in the first half at Lima’s national stadium as they guaranteed a top-two finish in Group Eight. Mexico’s Pachuca went second in the group after holding out for a 1-1 draw away to Ecuadorean champions Deportivo Cuenca, who were eliminated.
Bolivar dropped two crucial home points in Group Two as they threw away a 2-0 lead and were held 2-2 by Ecuador’s LDU.
Bolivar, who have seven points, stayed second in the group, ahead of LDU on goal difference.
But the Bolivians are away to Brazilian champions Santos, who lead the group with nine points, in their last game while LDU host Danubio, who are last with six.
Cristian Zermatten and Limberg Gutierrez gave Bolivar a 2-0 lead in only 33 minutes in La Paz, at 3,600 meters above sea level.
