Best shot for Blue brigade

After spending a day to recover from the ill-fated header that sent the ball into his own net — and gave Chelsea a clear edge ahead of Wednesday’s return leg — the Norway defender said he’s hoping for a chance to make amends at Stamford Bridge.

“Nobody wants to score an own goal but people make mistakes — and nobody will blame me if it’s 0-0 on Wednesday and we don’t go through,” Riise said. “But nobody is thinking about that. We are going to try and get a win and hopefully we will get it. Then the first-leg result and the own goal won’t matter. We know we can do it.”

Liverpool are hoping their Champions League experience can help overcome Chelsea’s stellar home record. The Reds have won Europe’s top club competition five times, and have eliminated Chelsea in the semi-finals twice in the last three years.

Third time lucky?

“I think they want to win clearly and all their supporters will push and try to support the team,” Benitez said on Tuesday. “The players know it’s an important game for them — three years to (get to) the final, they will be a little bit under pressure.”

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is confident his side can again rise to the occasion in European play. “I’ll be realistic and say the advantage lies with Chelsea now,” Gerrard said. “They are a very good team and they have been very strong at home for a long time. But we have shown over the last few years that we are a very good team away from home in Europe — and we want to go to Stamford Bridge and prove ourselves again.”

Liverpool won the last of their five European Cups in 2005 when they recovered from being 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalty kicks. They lost to AC Milan in last season’s final.

Chelsea’s only European success was in the now defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup, when they won in 1971 and 1998. It’s not for want of trying — the Blues are in the Champions League semi-finals for the fourth time in five seasons.

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