2005 League Cup Final

Liverpool lost the 2005 FA Cup Final, falling to a 3-2 defeat against Chelsea on 27 February 2005 in Cardiff. The match was Liverpool's 10th League Cup Final, of which this was their third defeat. It was also the first cup final of manager Rafael Benitez's Anfield tenure- as well as of his counterpart Jose Mourinho's career at Chelsea. The game can be seen as the start of an intense rivalry that developed between the two sides during Benitez's time in charge of Liverpool. The match began in excellent fashion for the Reds with John Arne Riise crashing a volley into the Chelsea net within the first minute. However Chelsea exerted growing pressure as the game progressed and grabbed an equaliser thanks to a Steven Gerrard own goal. Extra time brought two more Chelsea goals before Antonio Nunez pulled one back to set up a grandstand finish.

Build-up

Liverpool's road to the final began on 26 October 2004, with a 3-0 victory over Millwall- the match featuring a rare goal from Salif Diao. Neil Mellor hit a brace against Middlesbrough in the next round on 1 November 2004 to seal a 2-0 victory for the Reds, before Liverpool won a penalty shootout with Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter finals on 1 December 2004, following a 1-1 tie. Liverpool had fallen behind to a Jermain Defoe goal in the 108th minute, before a 117th minute Florent Sinama-Pongolle penalty sent the match to the shootout- Liverpool prevailing 4-3. The semi-finals paired Liverpool with Watford- Steven Gerrard netted the only goal in each leg as Liverpool progressed 2-0 on aggregate.

Chelsea's passage to the final included victories over West Ham, Newcastle, Fulham and Manchester United.

Details

25 February 2005	Liverpool	2-3 (AET)	Chelsea	Millenium Stadium, Cardiff
	Riise (1) Nunez (113)		Gerrard (og 79) Drogba (107) Kezman (112)

Team

Starting 11:

• 1. Jerzy Dudek
• 3. Steve Finnan
• 23. Jamie Carragher
• 4. Sami Hyypia
• 26. Djimi Traore 67'
• 10. Luis Garcia
• 8. Steven Gerrard
• 16. Dietmar Hamann
• 6. John Arne Riise
• 7. Harry Kewell 56'
• 19. Fernando Morientes 74'

Substitutes:

• 20. Scott Carson
• 12. Mauricio Pellegrino
• 25. Igor Biscan 67'
• 18. Antonio Nunez 56'
• 5. Milan Baros 74'

See also

• 2004-05 season

Highlights