Jamie
Carragher has warned Liverpool they will be in for a totally different game
in the Capital One Cup semi-final return leg at Stamford Bridge after the
1-1 draw at Anfield.
Liverpool dominated Tuesday night's first-leg encounter but could not finish
Chelsea off after Raheem Sterling’s superb second-half equaliser, and the
former Reds defender fears they will struggle without a home crowd behind
them.
He said on Sky Sports: "It will be totally different. What I saw from
Liverpool tonight was them at their best.
“When you have that pace and penetration in your play, bring the crowd
together and use the energy from the players and crowd together, they caused
Chelsea massive problems.
"They won’t have that at Stamford Bridge. I’m sure they'll take six or seven
thousand Liverpool fans, but they won’t be able to use the crowd."
Carragher, who won the League Cup with Liverpool in 2001, 2003 and 2012,
says the Reds' fortunes in the second leg will depend on how they set up
against a Chelsea side who contained on Tuesday.
He added: "Chelsea were very lucky tonight, but it will be about how
Liverpool set up.
"Do they sit back? Go on the counter-attack? It’s difficult to go to
Chelsea, but that was a great performance tonight.
"They’ll be buzzing that they came back against the top team in the country,
but it’s going to be a big ask at Stamford Bridge."
Former Chelsea midfielder and current Sunderland boss Gus Poyet agreed,
insisting he cannot see Chelsea defending at Stamford Bridge as they did at
Anfield, particularly Eden Hazard and Diego Costa.
He told Sky Sports: "I cannot see Hazard defending too much, or Costa.
They’re going to be up front.
"Now the shape of Liverpool when they’re attacking has to be different.
[Emre] Can; how is he going to mark? how isolated is he going to be?
“It was a totally different Chelsea. Not the Chelsea that was aggressive at
the weekend, they were holding, waiting.
“It was like the Chelsea of a few years ago when they won the league, making
it difficult for the opposition.”
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