[Darren]

LIVERPOOL 1 - 0 PSV EINDHOVEN Wednesday 11 April 2007 19:45 , Champions League Quarter Final (2)

CROUCH COMPLETES STROLL TO EURO SEMI Liverpool confirmed the worst kept secret in football on Wednesday night by comfortably completing the formalities of their Champions League quarter-final success over PSV Eindhoven. Peter Crouch's 67th minute goal was enough to a secure a 1-0 second leg victory that, together with the 3-0 win in Holland a week ago, sets up a mouth-watering last four clash with Chelsea. To compound the misery for Ronald Koeman's side, Dirk Marcellis was sent-off in the 64th minute for a late challenge on Bolo Zenden. The heroic events of Istanbul 2005 are proof that sporting miracles, the kind of which PSV needed tonight, do happen. But the odds of the reigning Eredivisie champions mounting a Liverpool-style comeback always looked longer than the queues which will snake around Anfield when the semi-final tickets go on sale. With such a commanding first-leg advantage Rafa Benitez enjoyed the luxury of being able to ring the changes for the second instalment of this tie. Agger, Alonso, Zenden, Pennant and Riise all returned to the starting eleven and in the absence of Gerrard and Carragher, who both started on the bench, Sami Hyypia led the Reds out as skipper. The manager and his players had professionaly warned against the dangers of complacency in the days building-up to the game and a Jefferson Farfan header that was tipped over by Pepe Reina after just three minutes seemed to re-emphasise the message. The home crowd were certainly not resting on their laurels and they again created the kind of rousing atmosphere that we've now come to expect on a European night at Anfield. Their backing of the team, however, was temporarily suspended shortly before the quarter hour mark and replaced by sympathetic applause for Craig Bellamy who was sadly stretchered off after injuring his knee ligaments when making a defensive challenge. Bellamy's replacement, Robbie Fowler, entered the arena to a deafening roar but it was strike partner Crouch who went closest breaking the deadlock during an opening half that failed to ignite on the pitch like it had off it. From a right-wing centre by the ever improving Jermaine Pennant, Crouch did well to hook his right foot around the ball only to see keeper Gomes pull off a spectacular one-handed diving save. Zenden then curled a free-kick narrowly past the post and any faint hopes his former club may have harboured of turning this tie on its head were fading fast, especially when Dirk Marcellis saw red after the break. An angled effort from Farfan, which Reina pushed around the post, was the best the visitors could muster before Crouch side-footed home from close-range to seal victory on the night. Crouch, again, and Pennant had chances to increase the lead further before time was up but it mattered little. PSV, conquerors of Arsenal in the previous round, had been comprehensively defeated over the two legs. Another titanic semi-final with Chelsea now awaits and the message from the fans inside Anfield was 'Bring it on!'