Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says he is sick and
tired of meeting Liverpool in the Champions League knockout stages,
and hopes the Blues can avoid Rafa Benitez's men this
year.
The Stamford Bridge side have met their Anfield counterparts in
three of the last four European Cup semi-finals, with the Reds
triumphing in 2005 and 2006, before Chelsea progressed to their
first ever Champions League final last season at Liverpool's
expense.
However, the England midfielder believes the Merseysiders will
be just as keen to avoid the resurgent Blues in the quarter-finals,
with Guus Hiddink unbeaten in his first six matches in charge,
winning the first five before Tuesday's 2-2 draw in Turin against
Juventus.
“Maybe Liverpool don’t want to play us either. I think
everyone’s a bit fed up of that one," he told The
Sun.
“But fate says it could happen and we’ll see. If it happens, you
have to deal with it.
“I think the spirit we’ve had for the last five years, at times
this season we maybe didn’t quite have it, and it showed.
“But I think on Tuesday night, and in the last five or six games,
we showed that when we’re together, when we’ve got the spirit, when
we’ve got the quality in the team, we can go wherever we
want.
“The new coach has given a boost to everyone. He commands respect
but also has a certain aura. All the great coaches with whom I’ve
worked give you fear and Hiddink is one of them. He is a great
coach and has got great results in every job he has had.”
