Rafael Benitez spoke of the "pressure" before departing for London. He was referring as much to the stifling sense of expectation that will surely saddle tonight's opponents, Chelsea, as the grim realisation that the Champions League represents Liverpool's only remaining route to silverware this season - either way, Stamford Bridge will be an arena choked by the tension this evening. A long-awaited rematch lies ahead.

Some two years ago, Jose Mourinho's side, en route to a first league championship in half a century, were suffocated by a Benitez line-up that included Djimi Traore, Igor Biscan and, by the end, Vladimir Smicer, apparently inadequate talents and symbols of the ancien régime at Anfield.

The return leg on Merseyside was settled by a "ghost goal" that haunts the Portuguese still. The word "revenge" has been used sparingly but the rare scars inflicted by elimination back in 2005 still smart for the likes of Mourinho, John Terry and Frank Lampard. In west London, Liverpool must confront a backlash.

Neither of these sides can contemplate having to forgo their trip to Athens next month, even with Chelsea still pursuing an unprecedented quadruple.

"In the semi-final of the Champions League, both sides will be under pressure, but you could see when we beat them (in 2005) how important this competition was to them," said Benitez.

"After two years winning the Premier League since, normally you would try to change priorities, so this is their main focus now. They are a very good team, with a lot of good players, very expensive players. With this squad, you must fight in every competition. But we are ready, and we can beat them."

That much is clear. There are 12 points between the teams in the Premiership, Liverpool's title aspirations effectively jettisoned back in the autumn, yet everything suggests another excruciatingly tight tie between two sides grown uncomfortably familiar with each other in recent times.

Under Benitez, Liverpool have never scored at Stamford Bridge in five visits but they can cling to semi-final wins over Chelsea in the Champions League and the FA Cup during the Spaniard's reign. Chelsea are unbeaten in 21 matches in all competitions, a sequence that has ground them back into contention in the league, but the last team to overcome them, and convincingly, was Liverpool back in January.

In recent weeks, the domestic champions have appeared leggier than usual - their rousing revival in Valencia aside - as a draining campaign takes its toll but there will be little sympathy tonight, either for their aches and pains or for the unsettling suggestions about Mourinho's future.

"I don't want to play games," said Benitez, at pains to avoid another eruption of his long-simmering antipathy toward Mourinho. "Chelsea have a very good squad and, physically, they are really strong. You could see it in the second half against Valencia. I don't think they will be tired.

"As for Mourinho, all managers have pressure. Each one has his own type to cope with but they cannot be without pressure. You need to win every game, whether you are with Wigan or Watford - perhaps not Watford now - but you always need to win."

Mourinho still considers the Champions League defeat at Anfield to Luis Garcia's second-leg goal to have been illegitimate, insisting the ball did not cross the line before it was scrambled clear by William Gallas. Benitez has tired of such talk.

"I am not surprised (that Mourinho still talks of it)," he added. "All I have is a clear vision of the play: if it is not a goal, then it is a penalty and a red card for Petr Cech. Penalty and red card, so they would have restarted the game maybe 1-0 down and with only 10 men."

Benitez will be relieved that Chelsea are denied Michael Essien tonight, the Ghanaian serving a one-match ban, with Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Ballack also rated doubtful, the latter having hobbled away from Sunday's draw at Newcastle.

Benitez has his own quandaries, not least the make-up of his midfield. Xabi Alonso has featured in every European tie this season and, as the manager's eyes and ears on the pitch, is virtually undroppable.

The same might have been said a few weeks ago for Mohamed Sissoko, so dominant in the victory in Barcelona, but that was before Javier Mascherano established such metronomic efficiency and excellence in a Liverpool shirt as to make a mockery of West Ham's decision not to play him earlier this season.

Three into two will not go. For the moment, the Merseysiders retain hope that two European Cups within three years remains rather more plausible.