Jose falls down the beanstalk

"They could've played for 30 hours and never scored."- Dacnar

So, the invincible Mourinho and his blue Chelsea boys got stoned at Liverpool tonight. It's hard to imagine if this is a good or bad thing so much as it was just. Liverpool, technically weaker, smaller, played a great game. They reminded me of ancient giant-killers of yore, Monaco, a tough little team where each player stepped up their game when the moment counts. That's the funny thing with football. You can have the best team, catch a mediocre team on its great night, and suddenly you've got chickenpoo all over the face.

Actually, if you want a more succinct and precise analysis, especially with regard to Benitez's tactics against Chelsea's patented attack, Mourinho's failure to adapt to Benitez's blocking strategies, I found Angel Marcos's short editorial vaguely enlightening.

A little armchair commentary: Well it became quite obvious that Chelsea was in trouble when we saw the first images of Mourinho projected. Our normally smooth operator, dapper in a well cut suit and always looking impressively dashing, was unshaved, wearing a track suit, and looking, well, like he needed a shower. Last year, when he won the Champions League with Porto, the man was never seen without his charcoal grey suit. Never creased, never crumpled... tonight, he looked like somebody scooped him off the cardboard box he's been sleeping in. Now, when I see a coach look like that I know he's going to lose.

Chapeau for Luis-Garcia, who played a damn fine match, Terry for being one of the toughest sparks on the stumbling Chelsea team, Benitez for orchestrating the coup d'etat. My three stars of the match.

So no luck for Drogba again this year. Losing last year with Marseille in the Coupe UEFA against Valence, against that same Benitez, and now this... And yes, Djibril Cisse has crazy hair a rat could get lost in. I wonder if his wife will get into fractals next. But the best hair in the Champion's League could very well go to Kezman, who has this subtle assymetrical bowl, complete with little top tuft. Classy toff guy!

Coming up next, most probably AC Milan over Eindhoven. And then, the shock at Instanbul, May 25!