Luis Garcia first on the teamsheet in Liverpool v Chelsea cup XI
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Since the 2004/05 season there have only been four campaigns in 11 when Liverpool and Chelsea haven’t added a spicy, cup-tie flavoured garnish to their routine meat-and-two-veg Premier League meals.
A cup clash between the duo returned after a two-term hiatus when the pair were drawn together for a Capital One Cup semi-final, which is delicately poised for the second leg at Stamford Bridge after the one-all draw that was played out last week.
With another nail-biter in store we’ve decided to celebrate the history of non-divisional battles with a Mix n Match special, picking only from the pair’s Champions League, League Cup, FA Cup and Community Shield tussles:
At the height of the Jose Mourinho v Rafael Benitez rivalry the Spaniard masterminded four consecutive Champions League clean sheets against the Blues in 2005. The keeper for that run was Jerzy Dudek, who understandably gets the gig between the sticks on that basis.
The back four is full of goalscorers. Martin Kelly got the second in a 2-0 Carling Cup clash in 2011 and Branislav Ivanovic notched a brace in the first leg of the 2009 Champions League quarter final.
Daniel Agger bagged the goal that sent the 2007 clash in the same competition to penalties as Liverpool marched to the final and John Arne Riise scored three times over the course of this rivalry, as well as one at the wrong end.
No midfielder could oust Luis Garcia from the teamsheet. The Spaniard scored arguably the most famous goal in Liverpool’s modern European history and followed it up with the winner in the FA Cup semi-final.
Frank Lampard scored four goals in Chelsea v Liverpool cup ties, the most inspiring of which came from the penalty spot in 2008’s Champions League semi-final on his return to football following the passing of his mother.
Dirk Kuyt, another influential figure over the course of the cup duels, plays opposite Joe Cole on the wing, while we’ve dug deep to include Gianluca Vialli, whose double helped overcome a two-goal deficit in the 1997 FA Cup.
The Italian partners Didier Drogba upfront, who needs no introduction as Liverpool’s tormentor in the side’s recent cup rivalry.
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