Xabi Alonso is determined to provide the spark which helps Liverpool win the Champions League tonight and end Anfield’s 21-year wait for a fifth victory on the biggest stage in European club football.

German midfielder Dietmar Hamann insists he will not sort out his future until after Liverpool’s Champions League final.

Arsenal were without Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg for their clash against Liverpool at Highbury.

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0

Liverpool and Chelsea were chasing different prizes as they continued their bid to reach the Champions League Final.

Winger Arjen Robben is a major doubt for Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final second leg tie at Anfield tomorrow.

Liverpool will be without the suspended Xabi Alonso for their Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea at Anfield tomorrow.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez made five changes from the team which drew in the Champions League at Chelsea for this Anfield clash against a side also fighting for European qualification.

STEVEN GERRARD'S shock withdrawal from Liverpool's Champions League showdown with Juventus puts Spanish international Xabi Alonso in line for a first team comeback.

Sam Allardyce has thanked Chelsea for paying Bolton the greatest compliment possible by copying their style of play for Wednesday’s Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

Liverpool 2 Juventus 1

Liverpool 2 Juventus 0

Liverpool 1 Bolton 0

Dietmar Hamann will miss both legs of Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final against Juventus after being ruled out of action for a month.

Liverpool 2 Everton 1

Bayer Leverkusen 1 Liverpool 3

Bayer Leverkusen 1 Liverpool 3 (Liverpool win 6-2 on aggregate)

Liverpool will travel to Bayer Leverkusen in a fortnight with a nagging fear their outstanding performance at Anfield tonight might not secure a Champions League quarter-final spot.

Rafael Benitez’s side virtually picked itself for this Champions League last 16 tie at Anfield.

Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann returns from a one-match suspension for his side’s home clash with Fulham tomorrow.

Wayne Rooney was abused, booked and had a mobile phone thrown at him, but he still emerged as Manchester United’s hero with the winner in a heated north west derby.

FERNANDO MORIENTES is in line to make his debut against Manchester United tomorrow after completing his move from Real Madrid to Liverpool last night.

Harry Redknapp is determined to complete the sale of striker James Beattie before Southampton face Fulham at St Mary’s next Wednesday night.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will assess goalkeeper Chris Kirkland’s fitness today before deciding whether to recall him to the side.

Liverpool will be without the suspended Dietmar Hamann for their crunch Champions League home clash with Olympiacos, the German having picked up his second booking of the Group A stage in Monaco a fortnight ago.

Rafael Benitez will resist the temptation to call in the Liverpool cavalry and dump the next generation of Reds as the Carling Cup starts to get serious tonight.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will continue to rotate his squad for the Carling Cup quarter-final at Tottenham.

Steven Gerrard returned to Liverpool’s starting line-up as boss Rafael Benitez made sweeping changes to his line-up, leaving out Josemi, Harry Kewell and Xabi Alonso.

Liverpool 2 Middlesbrough 0

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was forced to hand Florent Sinama-Pongolle a first Barclays Premiership start of the season in the absence of Milan Baros.

I’VE mentioned him in this column before, my friend the Long-Suffering Liverpool Supporter.

RAFAEL BENITEZ saw the spirit of Liverpool rekindled in his native Spain as two of the most maligned players of the previous regime produced outstanding performances to carry the Reds to the brink of qualification for the next stage of the Champions League.

Deportivo La Coruna 0 Liverpool 1

Deportivo La Coruna 0 Liverpool 1

Defender Djimi Traore was the only member of the Liverpool starting XI tonight who began Saturday’s game against Charlton as manager Rafael Benitez opted to rest virtually all his key players.

LIVERPOOL boss Rafael Benitez will throw his youngsters into the lions’ den at Millwall in the Carling Cup as he protects senior stars for more critical games to follow.

Liverpool will field a much-changed side for their Carling Cup third round tie at Millwall as manager Rafael Benitez eyes three hugely-important games in the following eight days.

Ten-man Liverpool contrived a thrilling fightback as they recovered from two goals down at half-time to snatch their first Barclays Premiership away win under new manager Rafael Benitez.

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has spent all season talking of the “small steps” his side are taking.

Liverpool will still be without Harry Kewell (thigh strain) against Olympiakos in Tuesday’s Champions League clash in Athens.

Chris Kirkland will not play against Manchester United on Monday – but is returning to full fitness to put pressure on Jerzy Dudek for the Liverpool goalkeeper spot.

Rafael Benitez left out German midfielder Dietmar Hamann to allow Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso to take over a central role against last season’s Champions League runners-up Monaco in Group A’s opener at Anfield.

THE challenge has been thrown down to Liverpool’s stars to restore the Anfield club to a place among Europe’s elite and to prove they can be part of Rafael Benitez’s revolution.