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The remarkable demolition of Arsenal's conquerors PSV in Holland shows that Rafa Benitez's men are undoubtedly the team to beat in Europe. <DIV class=additionalText>'What a Red-letter day it would be if the North West’s two great arch-rivals were to clash in the Final in Athens' </DIV><DIV class=text>It wasn’t exactly the ideal setting to watch a Champions League showdown, but even on a soundless monitor in a crowded Spanish karaoke bar, Liverpool’s irresistible display against PSV in Holland was enough to make any English football fan sing. Or in the case of Arsenal supporters, green with envy.
I’m not a Reds fan, so there’s no bias here - but on the evidence of Tuesday night, I can't see anyone stopping Rafa Benitez’s supermen becoming European Champions for the second time in three seasons. Certainly not Chelsea on cufrrent form, and probably not Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United, either. But what a Red-letter day it would be if the North West’s two great arch-rivals were to clash in the Final in Athens – and that mouth-watering prospect is looking ever more likely as the tournament progresses.
The bookies certainly can't separate them. On Wednesday morning Ladbrokes were quoting Liverpool and United as 11-4 joint favourites.
Arsenal couldn’t score a goal in two legs against PSV in the previous round, yet Liverpool’s demolition of Ronald Koeman’s men was ruthless. Quite simply, it was men against boys. The fabulous interpassing and one-touch magic of the silent assassins (well, they were silent to me) cut the Dutch side apart to such an extent that they looked little better than an English Conference side. And the goals, when they came, were all heart-thumping finishes.
I can’t remember seeing three more incisive finishes than those bullet headers from Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch, and that unstoppable swerving volley from long-range expert John Arne Riise. Any one of them would have been worthy of winning the Champions League for sheer quality alone.
It’s a rare occasion indeed for a team to win 3-0 in the away leg of a Champions League quarter-final. Mug teams don’t get that far, which emphasises why Liverpool currently look in a league of their own.
Certainly, Koeman had no complaints. "From the second goal onwards," he admitted, "it was clear that Liverpool were just too good for us."
Stevie G and Co. have lost just twice in their last 16 European away trips and it’s hard to see Chelsea or Valencia (who they’ll face in the semi-final) halting the Anfield juggernaut as it approaches top gear.
The big mystery to me was why England’s greatest, Gerrard, looked so glum after the game. Maybe it was the worrying injury to Fabio Aurelio, or Dirk Kuyt’s impending suspension that got to him. Who knows? I couldn’t hear what he and Crouch said in their post-match TV interview. But they couldn’t muster a smile between them – you’d have sworn they had just been told all three goals had been wiped off on UEFA orders!
It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. PSV still have to face an Anfield thumping.
<SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Ladbrokes odds: </SPAN>11-4 Liverpool and Manchester United; 7-2 Chelsea; 6-1 Bayern Munich; 9-1 Valencia; 11-1 Roma; 12-1 AC Milan; 200-1 PSV.</DIV>
I’m not a Reds fan, so there’s no bias here - but on the evidence of Tuesday night, I can't see anyone stopping Rafa Benitez’s supermen becoming European Champions for the second time in three seasons. Certainly not Chelsea on cufrrent form, and probably not Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United, either. But what a Red-letter day it would be if the North West’s two great arch-rivals were to clash in the Final in Athens – and that mouth-watering prospect is looking ever more likely as the tournament progresses.
The bookies certainly can't separate them. On Wednesday morning Ladbrokes were quoting Liverpool and United as 11-4 joint favourites.
Arsenal couldn’t score a goal in two legs against PSV in the previous round, yet Liverpool’s demolition of Ronald Koeman’s men was ruthless. Quite simply, it was men against boys. The fabulous interpassing and one-touch magic of the silent assassins (well, they were silent to me) cut the Dutch side apart to such an extent that they looked little better than an English Conference side. And the goals, when they came, were all heart-thumping finishes.
I can’t remember seeing three more incisive finishes than those bullet headers from Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch, and that unstoppable swerving volley from long-range expert John Arne Riise. Any one of them would have been worthy of winning the Champions League for sheer quality alone.
It’s a rare occasion indeed for a team to win 3-0 in the away leg of a Champions League quarter-final. Mug teams don’t get that far, which emphasises why Liverpool currently look in a league of their own.
Certainly, Koeman had no complaints. "From the second goal onwards," he admitted, "it was clear that Liverpool were just too good for us."
Stevie G and Co. have lost just twice in their last 16 European away trips and it’s hard to see Chelsea or Valencia (who they’ll face in the semi-final) halting the Anfield juggernaut as it approaches top gear.
The big mystery to me was why England’s greatest, Gerrard, looked so glum after the game. Maybe it was the worrying injury to Fabio Aurelio, or Dirk Kuyt’s impending suspension that got to him. Who knows? I couldn’t hear what he and Crouch said in their post-match TV interview. But they couldn’t muster a smile between them – you’d have sworn they had just been told all three goals had been wiped off on UEFA orders!
It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. PSV still have to face an Anfield thumping.
<SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Ladbrokes odds: </SPAN>11-4 Liverpool and Manchester United; 7-2 Chelsea; 6-1 Bayern Munich; 9-1 Valencia; 11-1 Roma; 12-1 AC Milan; 200-1 PSV.</DIV>
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