The tie will be a re-run of the collision in 2005 when Rafael Benítez's side prevailed 1-0 on aggregate courtesy of a controversial goal from Luis García in the second leg at Anfield. Jose Mourinho claimed the ball had not crossed the line on that occasion and has since dubbed it "the ghost goal", though Alonso still believes the Portuguese's comments merely reflected "sour grapes" at Chelsea's defeat.
"Jose Mourinho has said things about García's goal again, but we don't mind," said Alonso, who missed the second leg through suspension, having been booked for a foul, disputed vigorously, on Eidur Gudjohnsen at Stamford Bridge. "He can do whatever he wants. We only pay attention to what is happening on the pitch. At the time Chelsea had sour grapes, I'm sure of that. But we are talking about the past now. It's better to move on.
"Let's hope that history will repeat itself and we claim another semi-final win over Chelsea. We believe we can do it over two legs. Chelsea will be very difficult opponents, but facing them gives us a special kind of motivation.
"It's true that we've beaten them a few times, but I don't know if we fully know how to control them. We must try to improve on our recent performances at Stamford Bridge to go through. But two seasons ago we eliminated them in the Champions League semi-finals and, last season, we beat them in the FA Cup semi-finals. So we are confident."
Benítez may be without García this time as the Spaniard continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury sustained in January, but the manager has more depth to his squad than two years ago with which to challenge the Premiership champions. Now that a top-four finish has been assured following Saturday's victory over Wigan Athletic, the Merseysiders can focus fully on their pursuit of a sixth European Cup, with Liverpool's players relishing the prospect of tomorrow's tie.
"We can put all our focus on Chelsea now," said José Reina, who kept his 55th clean sheet against the Latics on his 100th appearance for the Anfield club. No other post-war Liverpool goalkeeper can match that record. "We knew the first target was to make sure we qualified for next season's Champions League, and now we have, we have plenty of time to think about Chelsea. The two teams know each other perfectly. They know our strengths and weaknesses, and it's the same for us. It's not a game where there are surprises. The team which makes least mistakes will win it.
"We've played maybe eight games fewer than them, but when you're playing over 50 games there's not a big difference. It's true they've rotated less than us and maybe we can take advantage of this in the second leg, but they're a tough, physical side and we know how strong they are. All of them are really good players. It's a football game, a semi-final. There are other things people like to talk about, but our focus is on the pitch."
"It would be very important to score in London and try to finish the job at Anfield again," added Alonso, one of 11 players from the two sides who featured in the first leg in 2005 and who are expected to play tomorrow. "The present Liverpool team is better than the 2005 side, because it has more options. On top of that, two years ago was the first season at the club for several players and for Rafa Benítez too, and we are more settled now. We have grown together and improved, but that improvement is still not a guarantee that we will be champions again this year.
"Chelsea are different this season to how they were in 2005, but their backbone is still the same. Jose Mourinho has said it's easier for us because we only have the Champions League to concentrate on, instead of their three trophies, but I don't agree. It will be just as hard for Liverpool as it will be for Chelsea to win this year's Champions League. Some people are suggesting we are under extra pressure now because of the takeover, but we can live with that pressure.
"I believe in my team and my team-mates. I'm sure we can beat them in the same way we did in the Premiership [in January]. We will win if we are better than Chelsea tactically, technically and physically. They are the secrets to winning this tie."
Owners' history lessons
Liverpool's new American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, have been familiarising themselves with the club's continental pedigree having stocked their private jets with DVDs of the team's greatest triumphs in preparation for what they are convinced will be a seventh European Cup final in Athens next month. "I'm such an optimist I was looking ahead to the final even before we won the first leg of the quarter-final [against PSV Eindhoven]," said Hicks.
"What a great way for us to start if we could win it again. I have the plane stocked with DVDs and videos of all the FA Cup and European Cup finals and I'm watching those to catch up. I've watched Istanbul several times and I just hope that, if we have that wonderful opportunity again, we don't go in 3-0 down at half-time. I'm not sure I could handle it."