Rafael Benítez accused the referee Konrad Plautz of bias and poor timekeeping last night after John Arne Riise's stoppage-time own-goal cost Liverpool a precious lead in their Champions League semi-final first leg with Chelsea. The Liverpool manager criticised the award of four minutes' injury-time and a display from Plautz that, he claimed, had favoured Chelsea throughout.
The disgruntled Spaniard said: "It's difficult to understand. There were 94 or 95 minutes and every decision went against us. All the corners, free-kicks and fouls. But, in the end, it was an own-goal. It's not the first time. We knew before the game it was going to be difficult [with this referee]. Against Marseille it was more or less the same. You can't blame the referee for the own-goal at the end but the time? One minute in the first half, four in the second. It's difficult to explain."
Benítez also had cause to bemoan the referee for a push by Ashley Cole on the goalscorer Dirk Kuyt inside the Chelsea penalty area, an offence that went unpunished by Plautz. "The first four fouls against us were for pushing," he added. "I saw one of their players pushing with two hands in the penalty area and nothing given. I've seen too many things tonight but I don't want to say too much."
The Liverpool manager admitted his own side were culpable for failing to convert more chances on the night, with Chelsea's goalkeeper, Petr Cech, in outstanding form to deny Kuyt, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard among others. He said: "We had three clear chances. In these kind of games it's not easy to create too many chances. We had three clear chances and we needed to take them. The body language was clear. If you concede a goal at the end, you must be really disappointed. But we need to go to Stamford Bridge to win. We had our chances. If we have them again there, we'll take them. We have enough confidence in ourselves even if it is going to be difficult."
Liverpool have not scored in eight visits to Stamford Bridge under Benítez and have won there only once in the last 19 years. Benítez, however, insisted: "We will change the statistics right now. Watching the team today, especially in the first 30 minutes of the second half, I have confidence. We can do it if we work as we did today and have a bit of luck. Look at the chances we had and the chances they had. There was a massive difference in the numbers and how clear things were."
Gerrard was positive afterwards. "Chelsea realise they are in for a tough game at Stamford Bridge," Liverpool's captain said. "We've done it so many times before in these sort of ties. We never say die, that's something we've got within us."
Jamie Carragher was equally defiant. "Yes, we're disappointed but it's only half- time. I'm sure we can score down there, I'm sure we'll take our chances."
Chelsea's Frank Lampard hailed Cech as "the best keeper in the world" after his late save to deny Gerrard and said that Didier Drogba should have been awarded a penalty after being felled by Carragher in the first half. "Hopefully if something like that happens again at Stamford Bridge it will get given," he said.
The disgruntled Spaniard said: "It's difficult to understand. There were 94 or 95 minutes and every decision went against us. All the corners, free-kicks and fouls. But, in the end, it was an own-goal. It's not the first time. We knew before the game it was going to be difficult [with this referee]. Against Marseille it was more or less the same. You can't blame the referee for the own-goal at the end but the time? One minute in the first half, four in the second. It's difficult to explain."
Benítez also had cause to bemoan the referee for a push by Ashley Cole on the goalscorer Dirk Kuyt inside the Chelsea penalty area, an offence that went unpunished by Plautz. "The first four fouls against us were for pushing," he added. "I saw one of their players pushing with two hands in the penalty area and nothing given. I've seen too many things tonight but I don't want to say too much."
The Liverpool manager admitted his own side were culpable for failing to convert more chances on the night, with Chelsea's goalkeeper, Petr Cech, in outstanding form to deny Kuyt, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard among others. He said: "We had three clear chances. In these kind of games it's not easy to create too many chances. We had three clear chances and we needed to take them. The body language was clear. If you concede a goal at the end, you must be really disappointed. But we need to go to Stamford Bridge to win. We had our chances. If we have them again there, we'll take them. We have enough confidence in ourselves even if it is going to be difficult."
Liverpool have not scored in eight visits to Stamford Bridge under Benítez and have won there only once in the last 19 years. Benítez, however, insisted: "We will change the statistics right now. Watching the team today, especially in the first 30 minutes of the second half, I have confidence. We can do it if we work as we did today and have a bit of luck. Look at the chances we had and the chances they had. There was a massive difference in the numbers and how clear things were."
Gerrard was positive afterwards. "Chelsea realise they are in for a tough game at Stamford Bridge," Liverpool's captain said. "We've done it so many times before in these sort of ties. We never say die, that's something we've got within us."
Jamie Carragher was equally defiant. "Yes, we're disappointed but it's only half- time. I'm sure we can score down there, I'm sure we'll take our chances."
Chelsea's Frank Lampard hailed Cech as "the best keeper in the world" after his late save to deny Gerrard and said that Didier Drogba should have been awarded a penalty after being felled by Carragher in the first half. "Hopefully if something like that happens again at Stamford Bridge it will get given," he said.
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