Liverpool 1, Chelsea 1

Liverpool will have to do something they haven't done in eight previous games at Stamford Bridge under Benitez in next Wednesday's second leg - score a goal.

As sickeners come, they don't come much more sickening than Riise's calamity in front of the Kop, his second own goal of the season after gifting Luton a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup in January.

It handed Chelsea a vital away goal and makes them clear favourites to progress to the final in Moscow on May 21. After two previous defeats to Liverpool at this stage of the competition, it could well be third time very lucky for Avram Grant's men.

Until the late drama, Benitez's side had seemed to have done enough to earn a third successive 1-0 win over the Londoners in an Anfield semi-final.

Dirk Kuyt broke the deadlock two minutes before half-time with seventh goal in this season's Champions League season, meaning he has scored against every team Liverpool have faced in the competition bar Beskitas.

A demoralised Anfield outfit greeted the final whistle as though they had lost. But they can take heart from the fact that, the first 20 minutes apart, they were the better team and created the better chances.

Indeed, it was appropriate that it took a Liverpool player to score past Pepe Reina, because the visitors never looked like doing so.

The magnificent Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher kept Chelsea dangerman Didier Drogba under lock and key, while the Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso narrowly edged midfield dominance.

Poor Riise, meanwhile, had only been introduced because of yet another injury to the unlucky Fabio Aurelio, who left on a stretcher once again in a Champions League game.

Now Benitez will have to conjure up a fresh tactical masterclass at the hardly intimidating Stamford Bridge if a third European Cup final in four years is to be reached.

Going into the game, Liverpool boasted a remarkable record at this stage of the competition. Since being eliminated by Inter Milan in 1965, they had won seven consecutive European Cup semi-finals during which they have not conceded a single goal in the home leg.

In all European competitions, Liverpool had won their last nine semi-final legs at Anfield without conceding, winning 11 overall and drawing two with only Leeds United leaving with a victory after a 1-0 win in the Fairs Cup in 1970-71.

Besides Inter and Leeds, Barcelona were the only other - and most recent - team to score at Anfield in a European semi-final when they earned a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Cup in 1976.

Chelsea , by contrast had appeared in three European Cup semi-finals and lost them all, the last two, of course, coming against Liverpool in 2005 and 2007.

After resting players for Saturday's 2-0 win at Fulham, Benitez rolled out the big hitters. The Spaniard's main decision was in employing Carragher alongside Skrtel at the heart of the defence, with Alvaro Arbeloa coming in at right-back and Sami Hyypia on the bench.

This was Liverpoool's 18th meeting with Chelsea in less than four years under Benitez's tutelage

The previous six Champions League meetings between the teams had produced only two goals, so every strike would prove crucial in what was expected to be another tight encounter.

And it was Liverpool who netted first three minutes before the interval with an opener in which scorer Kuyt was hugely influential during the build-up.

A quick free-kick from Xabi Alonso released the Dutchman down the right but his cross was headed out by John Terry. However, Frank Lampard dallied in possession on the edge of the area and was dispossessed by Kuyt, the ball eventually breaking to Mascherano.

The Argentine slashed at his attempted pass into the box, but the ball fell into the path of Kuyt who, having continued his run and held off the attentions of Claude Makelele, slipped the ball between the legs of Petr Cech.

It was just about a deserved lead for Liverpool after rallying during the final 20 minutes of the half.

Before then, Chelsea - who left triumphant on their last visit to Merseyside at Everton on Thursday - had enjoyed by far the better possession as Liverpool struggled to gain a foothold in the game.

But their only threat, save a Joe Cole miscued volley from Lampard's raking pass, came with a penalty shout on 29 minutes.

Drogba and Carragher gave chase to another Lampard ball before colliding, leaving Chelsea furious at referee Konrad Plautz waving play on.

Television replays suggested the incident occurred marginally outside the area, and Carragher's contact with the ball was the merest brush of his studs.

That appeared to shake Benitez's side into action, and they had their own penalty claim moments later when Ashley Cole gave Kuyt a gentle shove inside the box.

In between came their first clear opening, a fine cushioned volley from Gerrard releasing Torres into space.
The striker took two touches to gain control, but shot straight at Cech's chest.

Buoyed by, Liverpool were vibrant immediately after the interval. The improving Babel turned and flashed a shot narrowly wide from 25 yards, while there were further muted calls for a penalty when Carragher struck against Michael Ballack's right arm from close range.

Chelsea, though, rode the storm and began pushing the home side back, and almost equalised midway through the half when possession shifted through Ballack and Lampard to Malouda at the far post, who evaded Arbeloa's sliding tackle but saw his shot blocked by a magnificent Mascherano sliding challenge.

Reina safely fielded a dangerous Ballack shot from range while, at the other end, Gerrard twisted beyond Makelele and fired a venomous angled volley that was destined for the top corner but for a fine parry by Cech.

The Chelsea goalkeeper then made another fine save in stoppage time to deny Gerrard, a stop which was made all the more vital by Riise's unfortunate last-gasp intervention.

Once again, Liverpool have made life difficult for themselves in the Champions League.