How Chelsea rated:

7 Petr Cech Could have ditched the headguard for a knotted hankie and a deckchair in the first half, but made an excellent full-length stop from Steven Gerrard in the second

5 Paulo Ferreira One of the unsung heroes in the side, the Portuguese had a typically solid game, although he was grateful that Boudewijn Zenden overran the ball after one misjudgment

7 Ricardo Carvalho Energised by Wayne Rooney doing the soft shoe shuffle on his nether regions in Germany last summer, Carvalho has added a creative streak to his game and set up the first goal

6 John Terry May only have a couple of gears but that did not matter while Craig Bellamy remained in neutral. The England captain won a more rugged contest with Dirk Kuyt

5 Ashley Cole Not a night for rampaging forward with the sort of fervour displayed by his wife, Cheryl, in that boutique, but the left back stuck to his task well

6 Claude Makelele Usual stuff from the Frenchman. Not pretty, lots of sniping and the ten-yard pass remains the summit of his ambition. Nobody better at understated star roles

8 Joe Cole Once he was the first to be taken off when things went bad, but now he owns his side’s skills manual. His charge into the box and cool finish typified his growing influence

7 John Obi Mikel Fast becoming a pivotal figure for Chelsea, Mikel and Makelele had by far the better of the midfield battle, forcing Xabi Alonso into one below-the-belt challenge

8 Frank Lampard José Mourinho makes it sound like Lampard has been doing double shifts down the mines, but he did not look tired last night. Fierce shots and raking passes; commanding

8 Didier Drogba Critics of Chelsea’s style ignore the aerial torment Drogba instils in opponents. Set up Lampard and Shevchenko with knock-ons. Strong for someone who can be injured by osmosis

5 Andriy Shevchenko Flashed one ball across the area, but the AC Milan legend is very much playing second fiddle to Drogba, whose form is putting the Ukraine forward’s failings into sharper relief

Substitutes: Salomon Kalou (for Shevchenko, 76min), Shaun Wright-Phillips (for J Cole, 83).
Not used: Carlo Cudicini, Khalid Boulahrouz, Gérémi, Wayne Bridge, Lassana Diarra

How Liverpool rated:

8 José Manuel Reina From 1984 to 2005, Liverpool well know that goalkeepers can win European Cups and Reina’s two smart saves from Lampard after eight minutes may yet prove crucial

3 Álvaro Arbeloa Some of his distribution was the stuff of postal strikes, let Joe Cole elude him for the goal and almost gave away a comical penalty in a poor display

6 Jamie Carragher This was one of those nights when the defender’s lack of height was exposed. Drogba caused several degrees of panic via the long ball, but Carragher toiled until the end

5 Daniel Agger Not the first man to be outmuscled by Drogba this season, but he was comprehensively discarded in the preamble to Cole’s goal

5 John Arne Riise Rafael BenÍtez wanted to use Riise’s penchant for the run and wrecking-ball shot in midfield, but injury meant he had to make do with a defensive role

6 Steven Gerrard How Liverpool needed an Istanbul revival from their captain. Instead, he was peripheral in the opening period. Much improved after the break

5 Javier Mascherano Like all his midfield partners, Mascherano found it tough to establish any fluency for Liverpool in the face of the gritty poise of Chelsea’s quartet

5 Xabi Alonso Difficult to spray his trademark balls around the pitch under intense pressure from a super-caffeinated Chelsea midfield. A few rash tackles hinted at his frustration

6 Boudewijn Zenden Some Liverpool supporters may have grimaced at seeing him trot out at the start, but Zenden did as much as anyone as an attacking threat

4 Craig Bellamy Picked for his pace and spikiness, Bellamy showed his intent by arguing with Mikel in the first minute. Thereafter he was anonymous and departed early

6 Dirk Kuyt The Dutchman is the sort of high-class trier who fans love. Always available, sent one deft cross to Gerrard and a thorny presence throughout. That said, not a single shot on goal

Substitutes Peter Crouch (for Bellamy, 53min): Struggled to impose himself 5 Jermaine Pennant (for Alonso, 83).
Not used: Jerzy Dudek, Sami Hyypia, Mark González, Mohamed Sissoko, Gabriel Paletta. Booked: Mascherano

Referee: Markus Merk (Germany): Little controversy and was unfussy

José Mourinho 7/10

Selection Having griped about the excessive demands placed on his players, Mourinho drummed home the point by leaving Shaun Wright-Phillips on the bench. Flair came from Joe Cole, sorely missed during Chelsea’s more mundane moments, and the midfield had the better of Liverpool’s.

Substitutions Mourinho has long proved himself adept at making wholesale changes when things displease him, but last night was not one of those. Put on Salomon Kalou towards the end as he tried to consolidate. Whether he will regret that conservatism in the second leg remains to be seen and may even define his reign.

Rant Watch Never one to wash his dirty linen in public, Mourinho started quietly, slumped into his seat with a perma-frown. Did not even leave his seat until half-time and did his best Zebedee on steroids act only when Didier Drogba was felled by Daniel Agger. Calmness had much to do with the way his side had the better of the match.

Rafael Benítez 6/10

Selection Forced to make a late change because of Steve Finnan’s injury, BenÍtez showed his intent by including Craig Bellamy up front ahead of Peter Crouch. Liverpool’s lack of control meant that did not come off and you wondered whether an “out” ball to Crouch, as modelled by Chelsea and Didier Drogba, might have been more successful.

Substitutions One of the signs of being a good manager is admitting that your plan is not working, so BenÍtez was right to remove Craig Bellamy so quickly. The flipside was that did not do much good, either. Nevertheless, Liverpool’s improved showing in the second half suggests that the manager’s motivational qualities are intact.

Rant Watch Far more animated than his counterpart. BenÍtez ranted at his bench, his players and the fourth official as things went pear-shaped in the first period. Steven Gerrard seemed to bear much of the brunt of his criticism, no doubt because of his habit of drifting infield and denying Liverpool width, but it led to a much better showing in the second half.