Sid Loweon the significant roles played in last night's clash at the Mestalla by ex-Liverpool man Fernando Morientes and Chelsea's misfiring Ukrainian international
Two enigmatic strikers had their say before Michael Essien's late winner stunned the Mestalla.
One is a Premiership reject, the other must work to prevent himself from becoming one. But Fernando Morientes and Andriy Schevchenko are men of vast European experience and both left indelible marks on this match last night. Between them they boast over 90 goals in European competitions but still they are seen as enigmas in England. Last night they went some way to prove the critics wrong.
Morientes, who was bought by Liverpool to make them Premiership champions, scored the goal that looked set to send Valencia to the final. Schevchenko, the big-name signing supposed to make Chelsea European Champions, could yet be reborn in England.
Constantly questioned, accused of being Roman Abramovich stooge, Schevchenko has nonetheless scored 14 times this season, three in the Champions League - including the vital equaliser at Porto in the last round and the vital equaliser here.
When he arrived at the far post to tap in on 52 minutes, it ruined Morientes' big night - which became even worse with Michael Essien's late winner. Both men, though, proved that while real pedigree is all too easily denied, it is not so easily lost.
Morientes, the striker who scored only five league goals last season and three the season before in the red of Liverpool, is a different proposition in Spain. He has 11 La Liga goals already this season putting him a solitary strike behind the Champions League's top scorer, Milan's Kaka.
Schevchenko is closing in on a half-century in the world's biggest club competition.
Morientes' greatest contribution to the Champions League while at Liverpool was to tentatively join the celebrations as a cup-tied team-mate in Istanbul. Last night, he made another contribution to the Kop.
Morientes' failure in England represents Benitez's biggest regret and his greatest headache. Having tried, and failed to secure him while a coach at Valencia, he paid £9 million to bring him to Merseyside. He was Benitez's star signing - the man who would make them genuine challengers for the title. Obsessed by height and a physical presence, Benitez believed Morientes to be ideally suited to England but he never fully settled in the city of Liverpool.
He rarely scored and rarely contributed. Benitez could not understand why. After all, Morientes hardly lacked the credentials. He had been to four Champions League finals when he arrived, winning three of them with Real Madrid, losing the other with AS Monaco.
Last night was his 83rd game in the tournament, the sliding volley that flew past Cech, his 33rd goal. But only 12 goals in a season and a half was a poor return and reluctantly Benitez sold him back to Spain this summer. The recuperation of only £3 million was barely comforting.
At Valencia, the side that accounts for much of the Spain squad, he has found the perfect home. With two wingers and a lively willing partner, he has found his perfect team. Between them David Villa and Morientes are the best strike partnership in Spain, the country's best marksmen and the men who scored both goals in Spain's face-saving 2-1 victory over Denmark.
That Morientes played with a special strapping due to a dislocated shoulder last night illustrated his importance to manager Quique Sanchez Flores.
He got Valencia into the game here after a soporific opening 20 minutes when the most exciting thing happening was the score coming in from Old Trafford. You were pleading with someone, anyone, to do something.
That someone was Morientes. Albelda's ball found Villa racing at Carvalho. He cut inside and found Morientes, who thumped the ball against Cech's right-hand post, Chelsea did not heed the earning. A minute later, the previously anonymous Joaquin got the ball in space.
Rather than take on Asier Del Horno, he delivered a wonderful ball to the far post where Morientes was sliding in to finish superbly on the volley. "Gol, gol, gol, gol, gol, gol, gol, gol! Gol! go-go-go-go-go-go-go-gol. Mor-ien-tes!" roared the PA.
The fans joined him. "Mor-ie-ntes!" And then a text message came in: "Morientes does something at Liverpool at last."
It was not enough. Schevchenko and Essien's contribution to Chelsea was even greater.
Guardian service
