FOR anyone who needed proof football is the most fantastic, entertaining, dramatic, nerve-shredding game ever given to the world, this was it.
Last night’s epic will go down in Champions League history as one of the greatest matches ever.
At times it threatened to rival Liverpool’s amazing comeback from 3-0 down in Istanbul when they won the tournament in 2005.
Chelsea skipper John Terry was emotionally drained by the end — and he suspended.
The changing face of Terry as he sat behind the subs’ bench told the story of an incredible battle.
Chelsea were 3-1 up from the first leg, supposedly sitting pretty and comfortably on course for a semi-final date with Barcelona.
Yet you would not have bet against Guus Hiddink’s men going out as they were booed off at half-time, trailing 2-0 to Fabio Aurelio’s outrageous free-kick and Xabi Alonso’s penalty.
By the 57th minute they were back in control when Pepe Reina turned Didier Drogba’s touch into his own net and Alex crashed home a spectacular free-kick.
Frank Lampard’s goal to make it 3-2 on the night seemed to be extra insurance and Liverpool’s withdrawal of striker Fernando Torres with 10 minutes left looked to be confirmation of the white flag.
But Lucas’ deflected shot gave a flicker of hope and when Dirk Kuyt headed in Albert Riera’s cross, Chelsea were wobbling all over again.
Liverpool were 4-3 up on the night and one behind on aggregate with eight minutes remaining.
Had they scored again, Chelsea would have gone out. But Lampard struck again to end an unbelievable encounter.
The talk beforehand had been about Rafa Benitez gambling on his inspirational captain Steven Gerrard.
But Gerrard did not even make the bench because of his injured groin.
Kop boss Rafa had called for an early goal to shake Chelsea up and, after Torres curled a good chance over the top, the visitors grabbed the advantage they wanted.
Aurelio lined up to curl a free-kick into the middle of the box but, at the last moment, he spotted Petr Cech straying too far across his goal and whipped a low shot from all of 30 yards into the bottom corner.
Cech, who let in three late goals against Bolton on Saturday, was left sprawling on the turf in embarrassment.
Cech’s fragile confidence unsettled his team-mates and they were edgy every time a ball came into the area.
Aurelio put one into the mixer on 28 minutes from another free-kick and Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo surprisingly pointed to the spot for a tug by the two-goal hero of the first-leg, Branislav Ivanovic, on Alonso.
It was one of those which are rarely given but Alonso did not argue as he smashed the ball in.
Hiddink decided it was time for drastic action and threw on Nicolas Anelka in place of Salomon Kalou.
Dutch boss Hiddink has been round the block in his career but he needed all his experience to sort this one out and dished out a few harsh truths.
The effect was almost immediate as, seven minutes after the restart, Anelka went down the right and hit in a magnificent low cross which Drogba got a faint touch to and Pepe Reina, suffering from Cech disease, pushed it into his net.
Then, after Drogba hit the side-netting from a free-kick, Alex showed him how it was done unleashing an absolute screamer which swerved beyond Reina’s despairing dive.
Terry was hugging anyone he could get his arms around and it seemed the crisis was over, especially when Lampard converted Drogba’s cross on 76 minutes to put the home side 3-2 ahead on the night.
Chelsea had a three-goal aggregate lead and there were only 14 minutes left so it was merely a case of playing out time...
In the 81st minute, Lucas took a chance from 20 yards and his shot deflected off Michael Essien, leaving Cech no hope of changing direction.
A minute later, Kuyt headed in a cross from close range and it was game on again.
Terry was biting his nails but, typically, Lamps put those worries to bed with his decisive 89th-minute strike.
Essien still had to perform a miracle as he dived to head Kuyt’s shot off the line but Liverpool could not come back again.
What a night.
