AC Milan has the goals, Mourinho has the confidence
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-28 20:48

AC Milan has a two-goal advantage. But it's Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho who's more confident after the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, even though his team failed to beat Liverpool at home.

Milan beat PSV Eindhoven 2-0 at the San Siro on Tuesday while Chelsea played a scoreless draw with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. To avoid extra time and penalties, the Blues need to score at Anfield next Tuesday. If they do, they only require a draw to advance.

``I am very confident we are getting to the final,'' Mourinho said. ``I feel there is more pressure on them than us.''

Carlo Ancelotti is seeking to become the second man after Real Madrid's Miguel Munoz to win the European Cup twice as a player and twice as a coach.

Ancelotti was part of the Milan side that won back-to-back European Cup titles in 1989 and 1990. He was in charge when Milan beat Juventus on penalties to win the 2003 Champions League at Old Trafford.

``We can say we have the cake and now we're just missing the cherry on top,'' Ancelotti said. ``We're closer (to the final) than PSV, but we'll have to prepare very well for the return leg, seeing how tough they were.''

Ancelotti said Tuesday's win was ``a good result as long as we don't feel too secure. This is a small advantage and nothing more.''

Guus Hiddink, who led PSV Eindhoven to a 1988 European Cup triumph in his first stint coaching the club, admitted next Wednesday's return leg would be difficult.

``They will wait for us and try to control the game and try to counterattack,'' he said. ``But we won't give up.''

Mourinho's side failed to push Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek into making a save on Wednesday. Liverpool had the best chances, with Milan Baros' header palmed away by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who also chested a John Arne Riise shot to safety.

Chelsea rued missed chances from Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

But after leading FC Porto to UEFA Cup and Champions League triumphs in successive years, Mourinho _ whose confidence is sometimes interpreted as arrogance _ is convinced he'll also lead Chelsea to European success in his first season.

``I think 99.9 percent of Liverpool fans think at this moment they have one foot in the final and they haven't,'' Mourinho said. ``It's very difficult for them.

``We can score goals in Liverpool. They have to play a different way.''

Chelsea is two points away from winning its first English league title in 50 years. Ironically, the Football League persuaded the Blues not to compete in the first ever European Cup the following year because of fears of fixture congestion.

Now in its third season of European Cup competition, Chelsea also reached the semifinals last year, but lost to AS Monaco 5-3 on aggregate.

Liverpool, by contrast, has a great European Cup pedigree with four titles between 1977 and '84 during a spell when English clubs dominated the competition. It also has three UEFA Cup titles.

Benitez' men ousted favored Juventus in the quarterfinals and has shrugged off poor domestic form to maintain hopes of a fifth European Cup triumph.

Liverpool last made it this far in 1985. It reached the final but lost to Juventus, a result overshadowed by the deaths of 39 fans in the stands of Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

``Before the game I would have said that this was a good scoreline,'' Benitez said of the 0-0 tie. ``But after the game I am not happy with the result. We controlled the second half and all the situations.

``But if you'd have said that we would have said at the start of the season that we had to win a game at home to get to the European Cup final, I'd have been happy with that.''

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