Liverpool finished top of Champions League Group G

6 Dec 2005 Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool - CL Group

Liverpool and Chelsea had already qualified for the knockout stage, and managers Benitez and Mourinho both played down the importance of the tie before the match. However, they both put out strong sides and gave every impression at the start of playing to win.

Liverpool:
Reina,
Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore,
Gerrard, Hamann, Sissoko, Riise (Kewell 60), Luis Garcia (Sinama Pongolle 80),
Crouch (Morientes 68 )

Liverpool's best chance came in 30th minute when Gerrard put Riise through whose drive was blocked by the legs of Petr Cech, and Robben also wasted a good second-half opportunity for Chelsea as he volleyed Drogba's chest down into the side-netting.

Chelsea got the majority of the possession but failed to find a way to trouble a well drilled Liverpool backline.

Essien was lucky to get away with a straight red card in the 23rd minute for an appalling high challenge on Liverpool's Hamann.

Despite the goalless draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Liverpool got the position as group winners and means they'll go into next week's draw for the first knockout round as one of eight seeded teams.

Match Reactions:

Chelsea- Mourinho:

"I didn't see Michael's tackle so I cannot give my version.
I did see Mohamed Sissoko's tackle on Eidur Gudjohnsen and that was a bad one, a very high challenge."

"I was telling the Liverpool bench that they were crying all the game. They needed to sit down a little bit and relax.
With me referees are always very strong and quick to put me in my place. But other managers can do what they want.
For example if Jose Mourinho had done what Stuart Pearce did against Blackburn, it would have been a three-month ban for me."

"They defend very well, everybody behind the ball, they press they close spaces. They defended a lot and we were not able to break the wall. In matches against Liverpool, when you get chances you have to score."

"Our disappointment is not at finishing second in the group, it is at not winning the game because I want to win every match."


Liverpool:

Hamann: "It was the worst tackle I've ever been on the receiving end of. I really feared I had broken my leg."
"The referee didn't see it and you have to get on with it. When things like that happen, what you must not do is allow yourself to be distracted, we were playing well and controlling the game and getting the result to win the group was crucial."

Benitez: "Watch the video and make your own opinion. I don't want to talk about things that are so clear. I saw the tackle and I saw Didi's leg afterwards but we cannot change things now."

"We deserved to finish top because we have more points than the other teams. We done a good job, kept another clean-sheet and created some chances on the counter-attack."

View other results in the thread of 'Match Day 6 (Tue, Dec 6th.) / Final Scores...' in UEFA Champions League Forum, and join the discussion. And there's also a topic about Essien's tackle on Hamann in General Football Forum.