Liverpool will rely heavily on Fernando Torres snatching a goal at Stamford Bridge, so a lot will depend on whether he is able to set himself free between the Chelsea centre-halves, John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. On Saturday against Manchester United the two centre-backs played a very high line, but I don't expect them to begin with a similar adventurous spirit this evening.
Torres is quicker than Terry but Carvalho will be more than aware of this and will be ready to cover should the Spaniard elude his marker. But if Liverpool are to be successful in forcing a passage to Moscow they must score at least once. They will therefore have to maximise the talents of their best all-round player; it will be Steven Gerrard's responsibility to find space to burst through, if possible beyond Torres, to disturb the Chelsea back line, releasing himself in the process from the close attentions of Claude Makelele.
To make space for Gerrard, Liverpool must be prepared to hold Dirk Kuyt in as wide a position as possible. The more width they create, the more space will develop inside for Gerrard to exploit. Ashley Cole needs to be aware of the Holland international hitting the chalk. If Kuyt can hug the touchline, Gerrard will have a greater opportunity to find central space and Carvalho will be more exposed. Indeed, so vital will it be that Liverpool boast a player willing to remain wide that Jermaine Pennant, buoyed by a good display at Birmingham, might even be an option for this game. He has done well against Cole, his former Arsenal team-mate, in the past.
If Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso can find Torres and he is able to knock the ball back, Liverpool should be able to manoeuvre a pass through Chelsea's line to find a marauding Gerrard. Liverpool know they have to score and must therefore play more expansively. With that in mind, the more width they make to drag the Chelsea full-backs towards a wide player, the less cover Terry and Carvalho will enjoy.
The precision of the pass to feet and the lay-back, if executed well, should give Gerrard the chance to judge his run to exploit the space behind. The timing must be spot-on if it is to succeed because it is easy to be too impetuous and to make the run early, prompting an offside flag. But, with Mascherano and Alonso unlikely goalscorers, Liverpool will rely heavily on the movement of the England man to help their lone striker Torres and get in among the Chelsea back line to offer Rafael Benítez a route to a first goal at Stamford Bridge since he took up the reins four years ago.
