In the Chelsea vs Liverpool match in the Champions League quarter-final it is actually Frank Lampard vs Xabi Alonso. This is because they have got history.
Just in recent days, Frank Lampard, England midfielder, was controversially sent off for a challenge on the Spaniard in the 2nd half of Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield on February 1.
Mike Riley, the referee, struggled at times to handle the stormy Anfield affair, but yet Frank Lampard himself had predicted in an interview with Daily Mail chief sports writer Martin Samuel that there would be fireworks. The interview published on the eve of the game.
The needle between Frank Lampard and Xabi Alonso dates back to New Year’s Day in the year 2005, when a challenge by the Stamford Bridge midfield maestro saw his rival hit the deck with a broken ankle that put him on the sidelines for at least 3 months.
In the interview of Frank Lampard’s with Sportsmail, he looked forward to the weekend’s meeting. He said, ‘[The rivalry] is strong, I can’t deny that. The players feel an extra edge. You’ll see it on Sunday.”
