New Delhi: A proud yet crestfallen Rafael Benitez revealed his thoughts in the wake of Tuesday night's extravagant 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Rafa Benitez's Liverpool took the game to Chelsea, going two goals up after just 28 minutes. However, the Spanish manager's side could not hold onto the lead in a game that eventually finished at 4-4, with Chelsea progressing to the semi-finals with a 7-5 aggregate victory.
The Reds fought until the end tonight in London, creating chance after chance, but the power of the home side's advantage would shine through in the end as Frank Lampard notched a double for the Blues and ended Liverpool's emphatic comeback.
Benitez spoke to ITV after the match, revealing the pride he felt for his side and the fans, who remained in high spirits throughout the evening.
"I am really proud for the players and really proud for the fans because they were pushing and supporting the team all the time, so it is a pity but I thought that we played a very good game," admitted Rafa.
"I think that we are disappointed because to score four goals away...and this game was unbelievable.
The hosts might as well have not shown up for the first half, as they looked seriously withdrawn in the early stages, but it was in the second half that they would perk up and keep Liverpool chasing the game.
"When we scored the second goal I had confidence. We were talking about how we needed to score three goals but there was no rush so little by little we had to go," added Benitez.
"When they scored their first goal I thought we could still do it, and you could see that we were controlling a lot of things.
"But when you talk about Chelsea you talk about world-class players so when you make a mistake, you pay for it."
More on Goal.com
CL comment: Ribery can be world’s best if he leaves BayernPlayer ratings: Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool (7-5 agg)Champions League preview: Arsenal vs VillarrealChampions League preview: Porto vs Manchester United
Comments
0 comment